The End Where I Begin
by JessicaStone134
Summary: PC Beth Green has been handpicked for a dangerous undercover operation, but what happens when things get complicated between her and her handler?
1. Always a Bridesmaid, Never the Bride

**So here it is, my new story. I hope you all enjoy it, and it would make my day if you would leave me a comment :D**

_Games, changes and fears  
When will they go from here  
When will they stop  
I believe that fate has brought us here  
And we should be together  
But we're not  
I play it off but I'm dreamin' of you  
I'll keep it cool but I'm fiendin. _

Saturday the 1st of March, the day when Sally and Nate finally got married. They were married in the same Church as Jess and Callum had married in nearly 2 years ago now, and where Lexi was christened a year and a half ago. The day was cold, but the sky was a crisp, frosty blue, Beth's favourite kind of day. Beth and Jess were Sally's bridesmaids and little Lexi was the flower girl. Again, Will was the best man. Beth could see a pattern emerging.

_I try to say goodbye and I choke  
I try to walk away and I stumble  
Though I try to hide it it's clear  
My world crumbles when you are not near  
Goodbye and I choke  
I try to walk away and I stumble  
Though I try to hide it, it's clear  
My world crumbles when you are not near _

Beth was sat at a table with Jess, Callum, Lexi, Will, Smithy and Stevie, dressed in her pale blue bridesmaid dress. Lexi was sat on her lap, playing with her long brown hair. Beth couldn't believe how big Lexi was, and how beautiful she was, with Jess' blonde hair and Callum's dark eyes.

"You're gonna be a heart breaker when you're older." Beth said with a small smile, absently plaiting Lexi's long hair. Lexi just looked at her questioningly, and carried on playing with Beth's hair.

"You alright Beth?" Smithy asked, turning to talk to her, tickling his goddaughters stomach.

"Yep, just thinking how I always seem to get picked to be a bridesmaid." Beth said, turning slowly in her chair so she could talk to Smithy.

"Oh come on Beth, you've been a bridesmaid twice." Stevie said with a laugh.

"Actually, I've been a bridesmaid three times, to my auntie Yvonne, to Jess, and now to Sally." Beth said, a small smirk on her face.

"That's only three times, and people obviously think you make a brilliant bridesmaid." Smithy said nodding.

Beth shrugged her shoulders, looking across the crowded reception room at a man standing at the bar.

"Beth...Beth?" Stevie said a bit louder.

"Huh? Oh sorry Stevie, what was that you said? I was a million miles away." Beth asked, coming back to the conversation. She saw Smithy and Stevie following where she was staring, then looking back to each other while trying to hide their smiles. Stevie composed herself before saying, "I was just asking if you were worried about the whole "always a bridesmaid but never a bride" phrase."

"Yeah, I mean it seems like everyone has got married recently. My cousins have all started getting engaged and married now. I feel a bit left out." Beth replied, mulling it over.

"Would you like me to find you a guy Beth? My matchmaking skills are almost as good as my detecting skills, just look at Smithy and Stevie." Jess said with a smile, turning round now that the conversation was starting to get interesting. Jess and Sally, and both the station probably, knew that Beth had a major thing for Max Carter, and after they slept together at Jess and Callum's wedding the crush had only intensified. It was hard to tell if Max felt the same way, he wasn't exactly the type of person to talk to people about who he fancied...in fact her rarely talked to people unless he had to.

"Jess, that was a lucky guess. You only pushed us together again, you forget that we were together shortly after my undercover gun running operation." Smithy said, rolling his eyes at his friend and colleague.

"Yeah, but you have to admit that if it weren't for me you wouldn't have been an item for the past 6 months, and you wouldn't have asked Stevie to be your date for the wedding would you?" Jess said, a smug smile on her face.

"Smithy, I would just admit defeat now. You know how stubborn she is." Callum said, kissing Jess. Lexi started wiggling on Beth's lap.

"What do you want sweetie?" Jess asked, swinging her daughter onto her lap.

"Dance!" Lexi squealed excitedly.

"You want to dance?" Jess asked, laughing at her daughters excited face. Lexi started trying to get off Jess' lap and onto the dance floor. "Shall we see if auntie Sally will dance with you? And how about auntie Beth as well?" Jess said, looking at Beth expectantly. Once again, Beth was looking across the room at Max, but this time he was looking back.

Will sauntered over, looking at Beth staring at Max. "Beth, if you keep staring at Max he can get you done for stalking."

Beth looked up at Will and mock glared at him, "Shut up you. I wasn't looking at him, I was checking the special cocktails, that's all." Everyone started laughing at her lame excuse.

"Are you going to dance with your beautiful niece Beth?" Jess asked. Ever since Lexi was tiny, Jess had referred to Sally and Beth as Lexi's aunties, and Smithy, Will and Nate as her uncles. All of them loved being Lexi's adopted uncle or auntie, and they spoiled her rotten like real auntie and uncles would do.

"Yeah, in a minute, I'm just going to get myself a cocktail." Beth said. Smithy stood up, offering his hand to Stevie who took it, and they headed for the dance floor. Then Callum stood up, whirling his daughter up in his arms, and put his other arm round Jess' shoulders, and they too headed for the dance floor. Then it was just Will and Beth. Will took Jess' vacated chair and said to Beth, "If you like him, why not just buy him a drink?"

Beth looked at Will with wide eyes, "Will, I don't like him, not in that way anyway. Why does everyone think I do?" Beth asked in an exasperated tone.

"Because you make it so obvious that's why! And since that time you slept together..."Will started, before being interrupted by Beth.

"Will, I have told you not to talk about that! I admitted it in a moment of weakness and now you bring it up whenever you can. Just shut up about it!" Beth said, glaring at him with her big brown eyes.

Will raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Ok ok, shutting up. But seriously, just go and buy him a drink." And with that, Will got up and danced over to where his goddaughter was making some moves on the dance floor.

_I may appear to be free  
But I'm just a prisoner of your love  
I may seem alright and smile when you leave  
But my smiles are just a front  
I play it off but I'm dreamin' of you  
I'll keep my cool but I'm fiendin _

Beth stood up and quickly headed to the ladies toilets. Inside she found Sally who was touching up her make up.

"Congratulations again Mrs Roberts!" Beth said, hugging Sally tight.

"Thanks Beth, again." Sally laughed before continuing, "Thanks for being my bridesmaid Beth, it means a lot. I have a present for you, but its in my room so I'll drop it round tomorrow morning on the way to the airport."

"Aw Sal, you didn't have to get me anything! I've really enjoyed being your bridesmaid." Beth said honestly, putting on more mascara and straightening her hair quickly. Sally looked at her in the mirror, and a smile appeared on her face. Beth looked up to see Sally looking at her. "What?"

"Who are you going out to impress?" Sally asked, a knowing look on her face.

Beth immediately frowned, "Am I not allowed to wear make up now? I want to look nice Sally, this is a wedding, I can't go around looking like a tramp can I!"

"Ok, let me rephrase...is there a certain DS you trying to impress?" Sally asked.

Beth was about to retort, but then she sighed. "Am I that obvious?"

"Well, only to those who know about your little thing with him." Sally said, nodding.

"Ugh, why do I ever tell you lot anything?" Beth said in despair.

Sally laughed at her petite friend, giving her a quick hug, "You are such a drama queen! And you tell us stuff because you can't help it. Look, just go out there and..."

"If you say buy him a drink I might have to hurt you, regardless of the fact that its your wedding day." Beth said with a glint in her eye.

"Will said it as well?" Sally asked.

"How did you know?" Beth asked, a bit shocked.

"Because me, Will and Jess were all going to say the same thing so that you would eventually cave in and do it to stop us going on at you." Sally said with a grin.

"Oh God, you're in on Jess' matchmaking aren't you?" Beth said, reapplying her lip gloss.

"Possibly." Sally said with a laugh. "You look gorgeous. Now go out there, throw some sexy moves on the floor, go to the bar, sit near him, order a sex on the beach and drink it really seductively. Let him come to you." Sally said with a nod.

Beth sighed in defeat, "I don't have any choice do I?"

"You always have a choice Beth. You either listen to my instructions or you try it your own way and get no where." Sally said with a triumphant look on her face, "Now if you don't mind, I better go. I believe my adorable goddaughter wanted to dance with me. Good luck!"

"Thanks, I'm gonna need it." Beth said, taking a deep breath, rearranging her dress. She headed out of the toilets, a confidant look on her face.

_I try to say goodbye and I choke  
I try to walk away and I stumble  
Though I try to hide it it's clear  
My world crumbles when you are not near_

Twenty minutes later Beth was back in the toilets, this time accompanied by Millie, Jess and Sally who were bent over double laughing. Beth was sat in one of the cubicles, her head in her hands, her heels strewn on the floor next to her. Jess straightened up, wiping under her eyes.

"Oh my god Beth, that was the funniest thing I've seen in a while. Poor Lexi though, she thought you were dead!" Jess said, leaning against the counter for support.

"Are you ok though?" Millie asked after she'd finished laughing.

"Yeah, that looked like quite a fall." Sally added, holding her dress up.

Beth looked up at them, her chin resting on her hands. "I don't think I've ever been as embarrassed in my life!" Beth said with a groan, rubbing her ankle.

"Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Jess asked.

"No its fine, I'll just get a cab home and put some ice on it. Thanks for the offer though." Beth said with a small smile.

"God, the look on Max's face when you feel right in front of him was priceless though." Sally said with a stifled giggle, which then set the rest of them off. This time though, Beth couldn't help but let out a laugh. She had done what Sally had said, gone to the dance floor and danced as sexily as she could. Before she went to the bar, she grabbed a glass of something off the waiter as he went by for a bit of Dutch courage. But as she approached him at the bar, she slipped on something and her ankle twisted, causing her to fall face first onto the floor, right in front of Max's barstool. She had been so embarrassed and in pain that she didn't look up for a few minutes, just laying on the floor. And then she saw the pair of shoes in front of her get off the barstool and stop right in front of her, and she felt a hand grasping hers, helping her to her feet. He had looked genuinely concerned, but as soon as she was up he gruffly asked her if she was ok, and she quickly nodded before Sally, Jess and Millie got to her and took her to the toilets.

"He did look a bit worried about you though." Millie said with a smile.

"And when he helped you up he definitely got an eyeful of cleavage, so that's something right?" Jess said innocently.

"You lot can be so mean sometimes!" Beth whined, gingerly putting weight on her left foot. It didn't feel so bad, so she decided now was the time to make a move.

"What can we say? You would say the same had it been one of us." Sally said.

Beth thought about it for a minute and nodded, smiling, "True. Right, I'm going to go and say goodbye to everyone then get a taxi home. Thanks for the wonderful wedding Sal, I've had a brilliant time, right up until twenty minutes ago." Beth hugged Sally, then Jess and Millie. "I'll see you two tomorrow night at work I guess."

"Yep you will. Come and say goodbye to Lexi though, she'll be really upset if you leave without saying goodbye to her." Jess said, taking Beth by the hand and leading her out to where her daughter was, which was in Will's arms as he spun her round. "Will, if she's sick tonight I'm going to come and wake you up so you can clean it up."

Will grinned before he stopped spinning and handed Lexi over to Jess. "Dance mummy!" Lexi said, smiling at her mum.

"In a minute sweetie. First you need to say goodbye to auntie Beth." Jess said, stroking her daughters hair down. Lexi's face fell as she squirmed in Jess' arm trying to see where Beth was. When she spotted her she held out her arms. Beth smiled and took Lexi from Jess' arms.

"Bye bye Lexi, I'll see you soon." Beth gently kissed Lexi's forehead before handing her back to Will. "I'll see you all later. Night everyone!" she called out to the crowd. Everyone said goodnight and she began to head to the door so she could wait outside for her cab.

_Here is my confession  
May I be your possession  
Boy I need your touch  
Your love kisses and such  
With all my might I try  
But this I can't deny  
I play it off but I'm dreamin' of you  
I'll keep my cool but I'm fiendin_

As she walked past the bar she kept her head down, not wanting to meet Max's eyes. She breathed out in relief as she got past the bar, and was about to head up the stairs when someone called her.

"Beth! Wait a minute."

She knew who it was before she turned around. She sighed quietly and turned, gently putting pressure on her left foot, wincing as she felt pain shoot up her ankle. Definitely sprained. "Yes?" she said to Max.

"I just wanted to see if you were ok." Max asked, looking at Beth's slightly swollen ankle.

"Um yeah, I'm ok. I'm just going to go home, put some ice on it and go to sleep. Thanks for helping me up." Beth replied, a blush appearing on her cheek.

"That's alright. Do you need help getting up the stairs? You look like you're in a bit of pain." Max offered, holding out his arm. Beth stood there biting her lip. This was weird, Max was never like this with anyone. Beth took a breath and placed her arm through Max's one.

"Thanks sarge." Beth said gratefully as he helped support her up the stairs.

Max laughed quietly, "You don't have to call me sarge when we're not at work, Max will do."

Beth smiled at him, and Max could feel himself melt slightly. "Ok, thank you Max."

Max waited with Beth outside until her taxi came, and he helped her in and paid for her cab home. "I'll see you tomorrow, just take it easy."

"I will, thank you." Beth waved as the taxi drove off, not believing the past ten minutes.

_I try to say good bye and I choke  
I try to walk away and I stumble  
Though I try to hide it it's clear  
My world crumbles when you are not near _

Max stood there for a while, watching the taxi until it turned a corner and was out of sight. He didn't know what it was about Beth that attracted her to him, but he didn't really care. He admitted to himself that he felt something for her, although he wasn't sure yet, but he didn't want to find out. Work relationships never worked, not for him anyway, and he was a DS while she was just a PC, if anything were to happen people would think they were together just to give Beth a helping hand up the career ladder. But, he couldn't stop thinking about that night at Jess and Callum's wedding where they had had sex. He wondered if she thought about it as much as he did, but she was so drunk at the time she probably couldn't even remember. It wasn't as if she had made a pass at him since then, and there was no way he was going to ask her, he was eleven years older than she was, he didn't want her to think he was a dirty old(ish) man. There was also the fact that he was never good in relationships, he always came across as distant and uncaring, but deep down he didn't mean to be like that, things just came out wrong. Like the time when Millie had been on a case and was kidnapped with another woman. Max had been harsh to her, calling her an airhead, and she had put herself in danger trying to prove him wrong. Then when they found her jacket covering all that blood, he had thought she was hurt and couldn't help but think what he had said of her. She was a good cop, but he didn't like her methods, not thinking she could know enough considering how young she was. He knew people thought he was heartless and cold, and in a way he guessed they were right. He sighed and started walking home. Why did things have to be so complicated?

**_Song- Macy Gray: I Try_**


	2. Unwanted Information

**To all my favourite reviewers, that is Hollie, Jo, Meg, Aileen and my newest one Krissie . Thank you very much, and I hope you enjoy this chapter :D**

_I can't take this arguing  
Something must be wrong (wrong)  
If you think that I should go  
I will move along  
You must think I'm playing games  
Or messing with your head (head)  
Before things get way out of hand  
I should go instead, why_

March turned to April, and the days started to get warmer. Mid way through April, Beth was walking up the stairs leading to CID when as she rounded the corner she could hear raised voices. She slowed down as she recognised Max's voice, and then Neil's. She frowned, wondering what they were in disagreement about. She got close enough so that she could make out what they were saying and stopped to listen.

"There is no way that she should be allowed to do this op, she is too young." Max said strongly.

"Max, myself and the Inspector and both Sergeants Smith and Stone have discussed at length who should do it. We had three people who we thought would do it well, those being Sally, Millie and Beth. Jess would have been a choice, but what with Lexi it wouldn't be convenient. We need someone younger, and you know that." Neil said firmly.

Beth became confused as she heard her name. This was the first she had heard of a new op which she had been put forward for.

Max snorted, "Oh, so because its not convenient that PC Stone do it someone less experienced is going to do it? And PC Green is 22, how does she have the experience to do an undercover op concerning drugs?"

"PC Green is no less experienced than PC Stone. And how are officers supposed to get experience if they aren't allowed to do undercover operations?" Neil challenged.

That stopped Max in his tracks. "I don't know, that's for you to tell me, being the DI. But I do know that PC Green isn't experienced for this level of operation. Not only would it be extremely dangerous to her, but if she screws up..." Max left the sentence hanging, knowing that Neil would understand what he meant.

"Ah, that's the key. I am your DI, therefore you listen to what I'm telling you, no matter if you like it or not. Beth won't screw up, not after she is given all the information. Your problem Max is that you don't think anyone else could do a job as well as you could, so you come up with excuses as to why others can't do it. Our decision is final, we're going to tell Beth in a minute." Neil said in a raised voice, trying to control his temper.

"Fine, as you said, its your decision. May I ask who her handler will be?" Max asked, crossing his arms, a blank expression on his face.

Neil smiled slightly, "You."

Max's eyes widened and he leaned forward, "Me?"

"Yes you. Like I said, I know how you like to be in control, and no-one can do a good a job as you can, can they? And, even though sometimes we clash, you are a good handler and an experienced one at that which is why we picked you. Now, if we're finished with this discussion and you are happy with my choice of handler, its time to go and brief PC Green." Neil started to walk towards the double doors leading into CID, and then down the room to the briefing room. Max sighed looking to the ceiling, then reluctantly followed his DI.

_I love you and I treat you right girl  
I don't see why we need to fight girl  
If I hurt you, never do it for spite girl  
Cause in my world, you're my delight girl  
Anyway, I have to say girl  
My love grows more like everyday girl  
Keep it real around the way girl  
Please don't go you have to stay girl_

Beth stood staring at CID for a few minutes, not believing what she'd just heard. She couldn't believe Max would say those things about her, especially to the DI! She had been stupid to think that underneath all the bravado and unsociable personality Max might be a decent guy, one who made her feel alive...when they were having sex anyway. But she had been wrong. The thing that troubled her was the fact that at Sally and Nate's wedding he had been really nice to her, helping her up the stairs, paying for the taxi and then checking she was ok. What the hell had that been about? Beth felt like stamping her foot, but knew that if she did she would only be confirming what Max had said about her, about her being too young. Well she would show him, she would be professional and mature and generally the opposite of whatever he had said to her. As she was thinking this through, Smithy walked past her, then stopped and turned to her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I was called up to CID." she replied.

Smithy looked to the doors to CID back to Beth, "I know that, but why are you standing here?"

Beth tried to formulate an answer that didn't give away that she had eavesdropped on her superior officers, "Well...I...uh...had a migraine so I just stopped for a minute trying to clear my head."

Smithy looked concerned, "Are you ok? Do you need to take any tablets?"

Beth felt slightly guilty about his concern, but shook it off, "No I should be ok, I get them quite a lot, its better just to ignore it."

"Ok, if you're sure. Come on then, lets go." Smithy waited for Beth to walk ahead of him into the CID office until he followed.

_I can't take this arguing  
Something must be wrong  
If you think that I should go  
I will move along  
You must think I'm playing games  
Or messing with your head  
Before things get way out of hand  
I should go instead, yeah_

Beth walked through the doors to the briefing room and was offered a seat by the DI.

"Thanks for coming Beth. Now, I suppose you're wondering the reason why you've been asked up here?" Neil asked, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"Yeah, I'm not in trouble or anything am I?" Beth asked, realising as she said it that she sounded like a school girl who had been called to the headteachers office.

"No, of course not. Actually, we want to ask if you would be interested in an undercover operation?" Neil asked, watching her face.

Beth looked suitably shocked, and then smiled, "Of course I would. What's the operation?"

"I'd hear what you'd be doing before you agree so readily. Max, if you could." Neil motioned to Max, who was sitting in the corner, brooding most likely. He got up and walked to where the laptop was, and after clicking a few buttons some pictures appeared on the projector on the wall. The pictures were of the Farmeade estate, and various bags of drugs, what looked like cannabis, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy. The next slide showed various mug shots of 6 different people, all young looking. The next slide showed one of the pictures enlarged, with a name underneath.

"This is Jay Marsden. Been in jail for dealing class A, heroin and ecstasy mainly. He's been let out recently, and he's now turned snitch. Information from him has shown that there has been a shift in power on the Farmeade, and with the shift of power comes a radical increase in the amount of drug related crime on the estate. We've tried to find out who the new head honcho's are, with not much luck. We think Jay knows more than he's letting on, but he won't tell us. However, he has agreed to taking part in this operation." Max paused and sat down, allowing Neil to talk again.

"The operation is going to be to find out who the main players on the estate are, what drugs are being sold, who the suppliers are, and getting enough information to make arrests stick and get them prosecuted and off the estate. Jay has agreed for you to act as his girlfriend which will give you a valid reason for being with him when he meets these new dealers. Your name will be Bethany Archer, and you are an ex-addict. You're trying to stay clean, but it doesn't help that your boyfriend is still involved. This will hopefully get the dealers to not worry about you being there, but it could also result in them offering you drugs, which you will obviously decline with the excuse of trying to stay clean. Now Max will be your handler for this operation, and he is to act as your brother, if that is ok with you. Any questions?" Neil asked.

Beth paused, trying to cram all the information into her head. "Yeah, a few. How long will the op last?"

Neil gave it a thought before saying, "We're really not sure how long it will last, but there is a high possibility it could take a few weeks to a few months. Are you willing to give that kind of commitment?"

"Of course I am. Another question, will I get to live in my own house? I don't have to move in with this Jay bloke will I?" she asked. She thought she heard Max chuckle in the corner, but ignored him.

"You will stay in your own house and go about life as you do when you're not walking. But be prepared to be spending a lot of time around Jay's and out with him. So if that's all, DS Carter is going to take you home and give you more information. You need to check in every day, even if nothing has happened. If for some reason you can't get through to Max, Sergeant Smith has offered to step in. Good luck." the DI said, smiling at Beth as she stood and waited for Max.

"Thanks, and thank you for thinking of me for this operation." Beth replied, the DI nodded briefly before Beth walked out behind Max.

_If so, I will go  
But you should know it hurt for real though  
I'm stressed out, feeling low  
Can't get much sleep and I know that it shows  
Back when this start  
I never coulda picture it falling apart  
And it pains deep in my heart  
You know now girl we were not smart_

Max drove to Beth's house in silence. Beth couldn't believe her luck; she had been given an amazing opportunity which could help further her career and take off some of the major drug dealers on the Farmeade but she was stuck with Max as her handler. He didn't like her, she no longer liked him, it was going to be torture. They pulled up outside Beth's house and she quickly got out, grabbing her bag and fishing around for her cars. She jogged up the stairs and had the door open before Max had even locked the car. She dumped her bag on the chair with her post, and kicked off her shoes. She walked through to the kitchen and put the kettle on. She heard the front door shut, and walked out into the hall. Max was stood in the hall, looking around.

"Tea?" she asked.

Max looked at her, and said, "Coffee please. No milk or sugar thanks."

Beth discreetly rolled her eyes. Of course he had black coffee. She stood in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil, shutting her eyes and leaning against the counter. As the kettle clicked, she opened her eyes and jumped at the sight of Max sitting on her table across from her. The ghost of a smile appeared on his face before it turned into its normal blank expression. Beth poured out the coffee and placed it on the table next to Max. He thanked her and pulled out a folder. He opened it on the table and spread a few sheets of paper around.

"This is Jay Marsden, as you saw earlier. We'll be meeting him shortly at a cafe so that you can get to know him before having to pretend to be his girlfriend. Remember you are going to be Bethany Archer and you're a recovering druggie. Your clothes need to be suitably shabby, so I'll need to quickly check what you're going to wear. Also, you do not tell anyone where you live. If anyone asks, say you live with Jay. This three guys are who we think are the most likely suspects of being the new head dealers." Max picked out three A4 photos from the pile and laid them in front of Beth. He pointed at a young looking black man first, with short black hair and dark brown eyes. Across his left eyebrow he had a slanting scar, it made him look menacing. "This is Leon Jones. Is rap sheet includes ABH, GBH and possession. He is likely to be the brawn of the three so be careful around him." Max pointed to the next picture, a white man slightly older than Leon with cold grey eyes and chin length dirty blonde hair, "This is Michael Whitaker. He's been in for GBH, possession, theft and intimidation of a witness. He is probably as dangerous as Jones, but he doesn't get physical." Max pointed to the last man, a skinny, deranged looking man with brown hair and dull green eyes. "And last but not least, the most dangerous of all, Charlie Smith. He's been done for possession, intimidation, attempted rape twice, sexual harassment and GBH. By far the most dangerous, but also the smartest of the three. A bad combination. You have to watch yourself with him, you're exactly his type."

Beth blanched, but swallowed it down and took a deep drink of her tea. "Ok, brilliant. An attempted rapist and all three have been done for GBH. Bloody marvellous." she said sarcastically. She looked up in shock as she heard Max laugh, the first time she had heard him laugh.

"I think you can handle it, and if you can't, get yourself out of there. Now, we want a result, so you have to do anything and everything in your power to get all the information we need. Do you think you can do it?" he asked her, putting all the files away.

Beth looked at him, confusion on her face. He had been slagging her off to the DI, but was now saying he thought she could handle herself with a would be rapist and some brawny brutes. Did he not see how small she was? She would be an easy target, but then she smiled thinking of the exhilaration this operation would give her. She needed a chance to prove herself, and this seemed to be ideal.

"Beth?" Max asked again, and Beth realised she hadn't answered his question.

"Oh yeah, I'll try my hardest to get a result sarge, don't worry about that." Beth said firmly, draining the rest of her tea and suddenly feeling the need for something a lot stronger.

Amusement lighted Max's face as he said, "You can call me Max, that would be more appropriate. Right then, lets go pick you out some clothes."

_I can't take this arguing  
Something must be wrong  
If you think that I should go  
I will move along  
You must think I'm playing games  
Or messing with your head  
Before things get way out of hand  
I should go instead_

Beth couldn't believe that she had to take Max into her room, her pale blue room with the wrought iron bed and flimsy organza at the window. She huffed as she went up the stairs, showing Max into her bedroom.

"Take a seat." Beth said, indicating the pale blue chair that was next to her chest of drawers. She opened it up and pulled out old sweatshirts, jogging bottoms, old jeans which had become worn but Beth couldn't bear to part with. Then she moved to her wardrobe where she dug around at the button, fishing out her trainers which she wore when decorating and her low black leather boots. "How are these?"

Max slowly got up from the chair and picked through the clothing. "These will do fine. Now change into something from this pile and meet me in the car, lets go and meet Mr Marsden."

_Why can't you just trust in me  
Why do we have to fight each day  
Why can't we sit and talk as one  
Why do we have to fight  
All day and all night  
Things feel wrong it surely not right  
All day all night  
Things feel wrong it surely not, what_

Max pulled up smoothly to a small cafe that Beth had been in a couple of times before with Jess and Sally. It was a cost little cafe, and did the best lattes Beth had ever had. It wasn't the place she thought she would be meeting Jay, something more run down would have been her guess. She thought of a phrase her mum would use, "Don't judge a book by its cover." So she pulled back all the information she had been given about Jay and got out the car. She smoothed down he worn jeans and pulled her dark blue sweatshirt down a bit more. Max locked the car and turned to her.

"Ready?" he asked her, checking the road for approaching cars before crossing.

"I guess so." she replied, following him across the road into the cafe.

"Let him talk first, so she can get a better idea, and then you can ask him anything. You'll start the operation tomorrow, Jay has already told our three targets about his new ex druggie girlfriend." Max said, taking a seat in a comfy leather chair. Beth pulled out her own chair and sat down, getting comfy. "Drink?"

"Yeah please. Just a latte please." Beth said, offering a small smile. Max mirrored her face before getting out his wallet and heading to the counter. While Max was at the counter Beth saw a scrawny man approach him, dressed in dirty jeans and a faded green hoodie. He had short blonde hair and his face was unshaven. As he turned round to nervously scan the cafe, Beth was amazed at how bright his eyes were; they were grey, but a really bright intense grey. Beth realised that it was Jay, and as she was staring Jay noticed her made a face as if to say, "What a weirdo." Beth gave him an apologetic smile, hoping that Max would hurry back with there drinks. She was going to feel slightly uncomfortable now, after being caught staring him out. Finally Max approached the table with a tray with their drinks on, and Jay followed behind, plopping down in an overstuffed red armchair. He smiled at Beth, and she noticed that even though he looked shabby, he had a beautiful face. She didn't think it would be that hard to pretend to be his girlfriend after all.

_I can't take this arguing  
Something must be wrong  
If you think that I should go  
I will move along  
You must think I'm playing games  
Or messing with your head  
Before things get way out of hand  
I should go instead, why_

After an hour sat talking with Jay getting to know him, they had decided that Jay would pick Beth up tomorrow morning at 10am to take her to his flat and get her used to the operation. Both Jay and Max had agreed that Beth wouldn't meet Charlie, Leon and Michael until the following Tuesday, giving Beth the chance to settle into the role and Jay a chance to work out how to bring Beth along to a meeting without seeming too conspicuous. As Jay got up to go, Beth got up to, ready to shake his hand. But instead he pulled her into a bear hug, smiling as he shouted bye from the door.

"What do you think?" Max asked as he sat back down.

"I like him. I think I can cope pretending to be his girlfriend." Beth said with a laugh, forgetting that she was talking to Max, not Jess or Sally. "Well you know, I can get along with him which will make things a lot easier..."

"Beth, you can stop babbling now." Max said with a slight roll of the eyes.

"Right." Beth picked up her coffee, anything to keep her attention elsewhere.

"You're not worried about the op or anything are you?" Max asked.

Beth looked up, confused at this sudden caring role he was adopting again, "Not really."

"But...?" he asked.

"Well I'm slightly worried about what's going to happen if they find me out. I mean one of them is an attempted rapist, one has been done for intimidation and all three are fans of GBH. If they found out I was a cop..." Beth paused, not wanting to think what state she would be in after they'd done her over.

"Beth, if you want to pull out, just say the word and I'll make it happen." Max said. The way he said it had Beth's back up though, and she realised that it sounded like he wanted her to pull out.

"You want me to pull out don't you? You don't think I can handle this operation." she said, a bit too loudly.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm offering you the chance to get out of it." Max said, affronted.

"No," Beth said with an angry laugh, "I heard you and the DI talking, you think I'm too young and inexperienced, and you don't think I'm up for the job. Frankly, you were pissed off when you were told you would be my handler. I bet you thought you would have to babysit me didn't you? Well I may only be 22, but I do not need babysitting and I am not too young! I can do this, so let me do it." Beth knew that she had gone too far, but frankly she didn't care. She stood up quickly, the chair screeching as it scraped across the wooden floor. Max just looked up at her, shaking his head at how wrong she had got it. As he watched, Beth spun round and stalked out the cafe. She was half way down the road by the time Max caught up with her.

"Beth, come on. Let me drive you home." Max said, trying to reason with her.

Beth gave a derisive laugh, "See, you're not even denying what you said."

"I'm can't deny it if you heard me say it can I? That would be lying, and for all the things I am, I tend not to be a liar." Max replied, slightly offended.

"Look DS Carter," Max winced at the formality of it, "I don't want a lift home, I would like you to leave me alone please." And with that Beth sped up as Max watched, storming to his car and driving back to the nick. This would be fun trying to explain to the DI. Max sighed, rested his head on the steering wheel and pulled the car out of the parking space and to the direction of the station.

_I love you and I treat you right girl  
I don't see why we need to fight girl  
If I hurt you, never do it for spite girl  
Cause in my world, you're my delight girl  
Anyway, I have to say girl  
My love grows more like everyday girl  
Keep it real around the way girl  
Please don't go you have to stay girl_

**_Song- Wayne Marshall: Arguing_**


	3. The Creeps

**Here it is :D I finished it for all those who were nagging at me to update...you know who you are! Big thanks to my lovely reviewers, Krissie, Aileen, Hollie, Jo and Meg. You are marvellous people :D Enjoy!**

It had been five days since Beth had stormed out on Max. When she got home she felt guilty, but she squashed the feelings down; she wasn't the one who was in the wrong, he was. It was Tuesday, the day when Jay was going to introduce her to Leon, Charlie and Michael. She woke up that morning feeling nervous, but determined to prove that she was more than capable of handling this operation. She pulled on her oldest jogging bottoms and an old vest top with her scruffy trainers. She looked at the clock, it was eight o'clock, and she wouldn't be meeting up with Jay for another two hours yet. She sighed, heading downstairs and flicking the TV on.

_You say it's all in my head  
And the things I think just don't make sense  
So where you been then? Don't go all coy  
Don't turn it round on me like it's my fault  
See I can see that look in your eyes  
The one that shoots me each and every time _

At ten o'clock, there was a ringing at the door. Beth frowned, wondering who it would be. She wasn't expecting any visitors and Jay didn't know where she lived. She sighed and trudged to the door. She opened it and her eyes immediately became slits. Standing on her doorstep was DS Carter.

"DS Carter, I wasn't expecting you." Beth said coldly.

Max had the grace to look uncomfortable. "I wasn't either, but the DI wanted me to come round and make sure you're ready for the first stage of the op."

"Yes I'm ready. Was that all?" Beth asked, getting ready to shut the door.

"Beth," Max started to say, before Beth interrupted him.

"Don't, I don't want to hear what you have to say." Beth shook her head, turning ready to shut the door, but Max stuck his hand out, pushing the door open. Beth spun round, anger on her face. "What are you doing?!"

"Beth, whether you like it or not we have to work together, and I can't protect you and make sure the operation is going well if we're at each others throats can I?" Max said, his voice starting to rise.

"Well its not my fault you started slagging off about me when I was round the corner is it?" Beth retorted.

"You shouldn't have been listening in the first place! That was a private conversation." Max shot back.

"If it was so private you would have done it in his office." Beth said simply.

Max huffed in frustration. How could he make this headstrong women listen to him? He sighed, knowing what he had to do. "Look, I really am sorry for what I said."

Beth was about to say something scathing to him, but stopped. "You're sorry for implying that I'm not capable for the job and I could effectively be a liability to this operation?"

Max winced, "Yes, I'm sorry. We need to be able to work together well, and I think that means clearing the air between us. Don't you?"

Beth shrugged, "If you say so. Now if you don't mind, I need to go and get ready to meet Jay.

"I can give you a lift." Max said quickly.

"It's ok, I'll walk thank you. Bye DS Carter." Beth said, her expression softer now.

"Max, call me Max." he said as she shut the door. The door shut, and Max was stood on the doorstep looking at the area Beth had been standing. Why the hell did she have control over him? He never would have apologised to anyone else for saying stuff he thought was true, but here he was on her doorstep like some crazy man apologising to her and offering her lifts. "Get a grip Max." he said to himself sternly before walking down her steps and getting into his car.

_You grace me with your cold shoulder  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her  
You shower me with words made of knives  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her_

At half past ten Beth grabbed her bag and quickly tied her hair back. She looked at herself in the mirror as she went down the hall. She shook her head, not remembering the last time she had looked so scruffy. And oh god, she had answered the door to DS Carter looking like that. Beth thought back to what she had said to him, and in hindsight she thought she had been a bit harsh, but he just made her so angry! It was his fault, yes, it was his fault she was so mean to him. With that thought, Beth walked out the door, locked it behind her and set off for the place she was to meet Jay.

_These days when I see you  
You make it look like I'm see-through  
Do tell me why you waste our time  
When your heart ain't admitting you're not satisfied  
You know I know just how you feel  
I'm starting to find myself feeling that way too_

Beth walked into the little cafe, looking around for Jay. She immediately spotted him at a seat near the back, and she walked over to him, sitting down in a chair opposite him.

"Hi." she said, fixing a smile on her face. His answering smile made Beth swoon, he really was gorgeous. Beth cleared her mind of that thought, and tried to concentrate on the task ahead.

"Alright Beth?" he asked her, sipping his drink.

"Yeah good. So what's happening today then?" she asked him.

"I'm gonna take you round Leon's flat, which is basically their base of operations. They grow and do all the drug deals at Charlie's, and Leon's is where they do all their plans and everything. They've asked me to help them, they're getting ready to make a deal. It's all being finalised today, and they're gonna get some guys to deliver it." Jay said, and Beth tried to keep all this in her head so she could tell Max later.

"Well I'll ring Max quickly now and tell him what you just told me, and I can give him specifics later." Beth said, pulling out her phone.

"Ok, good idea. Once that's done, I'll take you to Leon's." Jay said, drinking his coffee.

Beth pulled her phone out and scrolled down the numbers until she reached Max. She pressed dial and sighed before holding the phone up to her ear. Max answered almost immediately.

"Beth?" he questioned.

"Yes it's me. Jay has just told me about a drug deal that's happening today. The details are being finalised ready for some other guys to collect the drugs and deliver them. I don't know anymore details at the minute, but Jay also told me that they grow all the stuff at Charlie and that's where they make some of the drug deals. Leon's is used for planning." Beth said.

There was silence at the end of the phone for a minute, and Beth could hear some scratching. Max was writing everything down. "Ok, good work Beth. Ring me later when you know more, I'll let the DI know." Beth was about to hang up, but Max beat her to it.

"Ready? Let's go." Jay said, a twinkle in his eye as he offered Beth his arm and they walked out the cafe.

_When you grace me with your cold shoulder  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her  
You shower me with words made of knives  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her_

Beth and Jay ascended a set of grubby concrete stairs in a similarly grubby, concrete block of flats. As they neared the floor where Leon's flat was, Beth asked Jay, "Why do all drug dealers live in crappy flats? Surely they must get loads of money, why not buy a nicer place?"

Jay laughed at her before answering, "Beth darlin', they don't really give a toss what the state of their place is, all they care about is what they wear, their appearance. They need the money to make new drugs."

"Ah, that does make sense." Beth replied with a smile.

"God you are such a cop!" Jay said jokingly.

"I wonder why?" Beth said in return.

"Listen, remember you are supposed to be an ex druggie, yeah, so try and act like one. When they start talking about the drugs, it might be best if you just sit there and keep schtum." Jay suggested.

"Ok, sounds good. And I can act like an ex-druggie, just you wait." Beth replied, following Jay down the path to Leon's flat.

"This is it. Are you ready?" Jay asked, turning to her before he knocked on the door. Beth nodded, getting herself ready. Jay knocked twice on the door, and it took a few minutes before someone answered. Beth recognised the man as Charlie, the most dangerous of the three men.

"Alright Jay. Better late than never, eh?" Charlie said with a sarcastic smile at Jay.

"Yeah sorry about that, my bird takes ages to get ready." Jay said rolling his eyes, walking into the flat.

"Ah, so this is the famous Beth is it. Alright darlin', I'm Charlie. Cor, you're a pretty little thing aren't ya." Charlie said, leering at Beth. Beth's skin was crawling...she had the sudden urge to take a shower. "Where did you find her Jay?" Beth felt like a dog, the way he was talking about her.

"We met just after I got out. Some guys were hassling her trying to get her to buy drugs, and she didn't want any. So I told them to clear off." Jay said, pouring himself a drink in the kitchen.

"Ah, you're hero eh Beth." Charlie said, shutting the door behind her.

Beth managed a smile, "Yeah something like that."

"Right, come on then Jay, important business to discuss. Come on then Beth, come and sit with us." Charlie led Beth into the living room, followed by Jay.

_Time and time again, I play the role of fool  
(Just for you)  
Even in the daylight when you're dreaming  
(I see you)  
Try to look for things I hear but our eyes never find  
'Though I do know how you play_

"Leon, Mike, meet Beth, Jay's pretty little girlfriend." Charlie said, signalling a chair for Beth to sit in. She sat down, smiling at the other men.

"Going out with underage girls now are ya Jay?" Leon sneered.

"Where can I get myself one of them?" Mike said, raising his eyebrows at Beth. Beth's smile was fixed on her face, but inside she felt like scrubbing herself clean. God, she thought, Max was right, how the hell am I supposed to handle this?

Jay plopped himself down on the sofa next to her, putting one arm round her. It felt comforting. He kissed her on the cheek, whispering to her, "You'll be fine, don't worry." Beth took a deep breath and felt comforted. Jay wouldn't let them hurt her.

"Right then, enough of creeping my girlfriend out, what's happening today?" Jay asked, smiling at the men who were pored over some sheets of paper with a lot of writing on. Leon and Michael exchanged looks, then both looked at Beth.

"Charlie, not being funny, but do we really wanna discuss this in front of Jay's bird over there?" Leon asked slowly.

"Nah, don't be stupid, Beth won't say anything, will ya babe? She's not into drugs anymore, but she doesn't care what you do." Jay said, squeezing Beth's thigh.

"It'll be fine, if she blabs, we know where to find her." Charlie said with a glint of lust in his eyes as he looked Beth over. "Jay, come over here, we need to talk to you about this, give you numbers of the guys you need to give the packages to." Jay looked at Beth quickly, then handed her a magazine which was on the floor. She took it, smiling at him, and watched as he crossed the room and sat next to the three men, looking at the pieces of paper.

"Now, you need to get the three blokes to meet ya here at Manny's electrics store. Its far enough from here that if the cops get a whiff of this for some reason it'll take them longer to link it to us. But, we're too clever for them to link it to us. First bloke you need to give the coke to is Steve Williams. He's gonna take it and distribute it to all those on his patch. Make sure he gives you the money before you give him the package. Next will be Grace Roberts, she'll give it to all those in her area, and then finally Jake O'Brian, that irish git. Make sure you wear gloves when handing the packages over, and don't let them see your face. I want you to ring them and tell them to meet you at Manny's in an hour, bringing the cash with them. They don't know we're the ones selling it to them, as far as they're concerned it's just you selling. If the cops show up, run, don't dump the coke, keep it with you. Are you clear?" Charlie asked, handing Jay a piece of paper with names and numbers on.

"Yep. Is it alright if I make the calls in the hall?" Jay said, looking at the piece of paper.

"Yeah go ahead." Charlie said, waving him off.

Jay walked over to Beth. "Do you want a drink babe?" he asked her, widening his eyes at her. Beth got the hint.

"Yeah please." she got up and followed him into the kitchen, where she put the kettle on. Once the kettle was on she quickly wrote down the names and numbers of the three people who would be receiving the cocaine. She would call Max as soon as Jay had dropped her home. Jay walked out into the hall to make the call, and Beth poured herself a call. She turned round and gasped...Charlie was stood leaning against the wall.

"So you're an ex druggie are ya? Why did you give up?" he asked her, a small smile on his face. Beth racked her brains, trying to think of a good excuse.

"Well, I couldn't keep funding it. I got caught by the police everytime I tried to steal stuff to sell on and make money. And then when I did get the money to get the drugs, I OD'd, and at the hospital they told me I had been pregnant but had a miscarriage. So I stopped." Beth said, putting a sad smile on her face, hoping he would take the lie.

"Wow, Jay never said anything about you OD'ing or losing a baby. Must have been hard for you." he said, and Beth was surprised about the tone of his voice, it seemed understanding, even sad.

"Yeah it was. But I made it through, and then I met Jay." Beth said with a smile.

"My old girlfriend was pregnant with my baby, but she had an abortion, and she didn't even tell me. She regretted not telling me though." Charlie said, a sudden malicious smile on his face. Beth knew that he was talking about Kelly Seymour, who he had sexually assaulted and attempted to rape not long ago. Beth tried to hide the shudder that went through her, but Charlie noticed.

"See that's what happens to people who cross me, they get punished. Let's hope you and Jay don't have to find that out for yourselves eh." Charlie said, walking out the room.

Beth put the cup down, her hands were shaking. Jay came in and saw her.

"Beth? You alright darlin'?" he asked her, holding her shoulders and looking into her eyes.

"Oh god, Charlie just told me about his ex girlfriend, and said that we better not find out what he does to those who cross him. He asked me why I gave up drugs, I told him I OD'd then found out I miscarried, and he told me about his ex." Beth blurted out, feeling comforted as Jay pulled her into him.

"Kelly. Yeah, I've never seen him so bad. God, Kelly was in a right state afterwards, it was me who called the police, not that Charlie knows that. Listen I've made all the calls and arrangements, so now I'm gonna take you home and you can call Max ok?" Jay said, leading Beth out into the hall. She just nodded, and Jay kissed her head. "I'm just gonna tell them we're going. Won't be a minute."

Beth waited in the hall for him to get back, just wanting to go and have a bath and get into bed.

_You grace me with your cold shoulder  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her  
You shower me with words made of knives  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her_

Jay dropped Beth off at her house, and put the kettle on for her before kissing her lightly and going. "I'll ring you when I'm done, and we can arrange another date ok?" he asked her.

"Yeah, thanks Jay." Beth said, smiling weakly at him.

"That's alright. See ya soon darlin'." he waved as he went out, and Beth sunk down to the floor before pulling out her mobile and calling Max.

"It's Beth. I've got more details about the deal, but I think you're gonna find it really hard to link it back to Charlie, Leon and Michael." Beth said, her head resting on her hand which was resting on her knee.

"Alright, just give me what you've got. Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yes I'm fine." she said, not with much conviction though.

"Ok then, if you say so. So what happened?" Max asked, pen poised to take quick notes. Beth relayed everything that happened that morning, including Charlie catching up with her in the kitchen. Max realised that must be why she sounded a bit off. "Ok, good work Beth. I'll arrange a meeting soon so we can go over everything, and so I can make sure you're ok."

"Sarge, I'm fine. Now I need to go. Bye." Beth hung up, leaving Max feeling very confused. He got up, sighing, and walked to the DI's office where he gave Neil all the information Beth had given him. Then he sat back at his desk, and he thought about Beth.

_You grace me with your cold shoulder  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her  
You shower me with words made of knives  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her_

Three hours later Beth got a call. She opened her eyes sleepily, blindly reaching for her phone. She had a bath then gone straight to bed, she didn't feel like replaying what had happened that morning, and she kept seeing Kerry's beaten body in her head. She finally found her phone.

"Hello?" she said sleepily, not bothering to check caller ID.

"Beth? It's Max. We've made arrests. We got all three of the receivers of the drugs. We confiscated the drugs and are processing them now. Good work." Max said, giving a rare bit of well meant praise.

"Thanks. Is that everything?" Beth asked, rubbing her forehead and rolling over in bed so that she was lying on her back.

"Yes that's everything." Beth heard Max sigh, but ignored it.

"Right, bye then." And Beth hung up on him before going back to sleep.

**_Song- Adele:Cold Shoulder_**


	4. Close Encounter

**Wow,how quick was this?! Ok, thanks to my amazing reviewers, Hollie, Jo, Meg, Krissie and Aileen. Thanks!**

_I go ooh ooh, you go ah ah  
lalalalalalalala  
I can't lie lie lie lie lie lie  
I wanna wanna wanna get get get what I want  
Don't stop  
Give me give me give me what you got got  
Cause I can't wait wait wait any more more more more  
Don't even talk about the consequence  
Cause right now you're the only thing that's making any sense to me  
And I don't give a damn what they say, what they think think  
Cause you're the only one who's on my mind  
I'll never ever let you leave me  
I'll try to stop time for ever, never wanna hear you say goodbye (bye bye bye)_

It had been 2 weeks after the start of the operation. Beth had been out and about with Jay more and more, and they had become good friends. They both knew that there was nothing romantic about their relationship, no matter how gorgeous they thought the other were. It was the last Thursday in April, and they had just come back from a bar after having dinner. Jay had offered to walk Beth home from his flat, but she had declined.

"So I'll see you in a few days?" Beth asked as she stood outside his front door.

"Sure thing darlin'. I'll call you. I had a great time tonight but the way." he said with his crooked grin.

"Yeah me too, seeing as you must have eaten half my dinner as well as yours!" Beth teased.

"Whatever! Be safe getting home yeah?" Jay said, giving her a peck on the cheek before he shut the door. Beth pulled her jacket round her closer and began to walk home.

_I feel so untouched  
And I want you so much  
That I just can't resist you  
It's not enough to say that I miss you  
I feel so untouched right now  
Need you so much somehow  
I can't forget you  
Been going crazy from the moment I met you  
Untouched  
And I need you so much_

She had only been walking for five minutes, but Beth felt like she was being followed. She sped up a bit, not realising how dark it had suddenly got. Beth placed her left hand in her pocket, arranging her keys so that they stuck out of her knuckles, just in case anyone tried anything. She tried to get to somewhere with lights and lots of people, but the estate was deserted. Beth risked a look behind her, and saw Charlie there. She hastily smiled and turned back round. Oh my god, she thought, what the hell do I do now? She carried on walking, hoping that Charlie would leave her alone. She could hear the footsteps behind her quickening and getting louder and suddenly he shouted her name.

"Beth! Wait up!" he shouted, and Beth started, realising he wasn't as far away as she thought. She pretended to ignore him, but after a few minutes, she felt someone pulling her arm, and she was spun round and pinned against the wall, her keys flying out her hand. She briefly had the breath knocked out of her, but then she recovered to see Charlie standing above her, his arms pinning her own to the wall roughly.

"Hi Charlie." she said quietly, trying to sound brave.

"Didn't ya hear my Beth? I was calling you." he said, with a slight edge of menace in his voice.

"No, no I didn't hear you, sorry." Beth said with a small smile. "What do you want? It's just I need to get home, my brother is coming over."

"I just wanted to talk to you about Jay." he said, confusing Beth.

"Jay? What about him?" Beth asked.

"He isn't good enough for ya Beth. He's weak, and he doesn't have any money, and he can't be trusted. He's bad for ya babe." he said smoothly, rearranging himself so he was pushed closer to Beth.

"No he's not. I trust him, with my life." Beth said solidly.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Charlie said smoothly.

"Well I do. Now can I go please?" Beth said, trying to push away from Charlie, but it was no good. He was so much bigger than her.

He carried on as if he hadn't heard her, "See what you need darlin' is someone with the power to keep you safe, someone who has money to spend on you, someone who can be trusted. Someone like me. You should ditch Jay, come with me instead." Charlie smiled at her, in what Beth thought must have been his pulling smile. But it didn't work on her.

"Charlie, I thought you were Jay's friend? You can't do this to him. I don't want to go out with you, I already have a boyfriend who I love. Now I'm going. Bye Charlie." Beth said, using all her power to push Charlie off her.

Charlie gave a derisive laugh, then pushed himself right forward so every inch of him was touching Beth. "It wasn't a request Beth. Ditch Jay, come out with me. You saw what happened to Kelly didn't you. Now I really don't think you'd like your pretty little face being messed up like that would you?"

Beth's breathing became shallow. Max had said that Charlie was by far the most dangerous out of the three, he was an attempted rapist for Christ sake. Beth took a deep breath and put all her energy into kicking upwards, and gave a quick sigh of relief as she felt her knee connect with his groin. He gave a grunt of pain and collapsed onto the floor at her feet. She started to run for it, running for her keys, but Charlie grabbed her foot and she fell face first onto the hard concrete. She hit her head on a bit of stone, and her cheek split open.

"Nobody says no to me, d'ya hear me? NOBODY!" he shouted at her. Beth kicked her foot back, wriggling free of his grasp. He finally let go, and she pulled herself up, scooped her keys off the floor and ran all the way home.

_See you, breathe you, I want to be you  
Alalalala alalalala  
You can take take take take take time time  
To live live the way you gotta gotta live your life  
Give me give me give me all of you you  
Don't be scared  
I'll see you through the loneliness of one more more more  
Don't even think about what's right or wrong, wrong or right  
'Cause in the end it's only you and me and no one else is gonna be around  
To answer all the questions left behind  
And you and I are meant to be so even if the world falls down today  
You've still got me to hold you up up  
And I will never let you down (down)_

As she ran, she rang Jess.

"Jess? Jess oh my god, Charlie just tried to rape me I think." she cried into the phone.

"What? Are you ok? Where are you?" Jess asked, panicking.

"I got free, and I'm running back to mine now. It was so bad Jess. I didn't know what to do." Beth said, finding it hard to see through the tears that were mixing with the blood on her face.

"Beth listen to me. When you get in, lock the door and call Max ok? You need to tell him what happened so they can get you out the operation. It's not safe anymore." Jess said in a soothing voice.

"I can't tell Max!" Beth said.

"Why not?" Jess asked, shooing away Callum who was trying to ask questions.

"Because I just can't. Please Jess, I don't want anyone else knowing, I just had to tell someone and knew you would understand." Beth said, pleading with her.

Jess sighed, "Ok, I won't. Did he hurt you in any other way?"

"When I tried to run away he grabbed my foot and I fell on the floor and cut my cheek. It's bleeding quite a lot." Beth said, feeling the sticky liquid on her cheek.

"It might need stitches. Do you want me to come over and take you to the hospital?" Jess asked, picking up her car keys.

"No no no. Don't come over. I'll be fine. I'll clean it up at home, and if it looks bad I'll go to the hospital. Stay with Callum and Lexi, it's late." Beth said, wiping her eyes as she saw her house in front of her.

"Beth, I'm really not happy doing that. Please, I need to see that you're ok." Jess said, begging with her.

Beth relented slightly, "Listen, come over in the morning. But not tonight, please."

Jess sighed and massaged her forehead, "Ok, but I'm over as soon as I'm up and dressed, I don't care if you're not awake."

"I'll leave the key for you under the mat. Let yourself in." Beth said, starting to calm down now that she home, "Ok I'm home now. Thanks Jess."

"It was no problem. Take care ok? If you need me, ring me straight away. Bye sweetie." Jess said.

"Bye Jess." Beth hung up, and fumbled for her keys in her pocket. She finally managed to get the key in the lock and open the door. As soon as she was in the door she slumped down on the floor, lying on the cold wooden floor, and curling into herself.

_I feel so untouched  
And I want you so much  
That I just can't resist you  
It's not enough to say that I miss you  
I feel so untouched right now  
Need you so much somehow  
I can't forget you  
Been going crazy from the moment I met you_

She didn't know how much time had passed when the door bell rang shrilly in the corridor. Beth jumped, and slowly for up onto her knees. She then stood up and placed the sliding lock on the door and slowly opened it. Outside on her doorstep was Max Carter. Oh shit, she thought, Jess must have called him! He can't see me like this!

"Beth it's me, Max." he said, stating the obvious if you asked her.

"Um hi. Listen, now isn't a very good time." Beth replied, hiding behind her door.

"We were going to go over all the information. Can I come in?" he asked her, wondering why she was acting so weird.

"Well I...uh...I don't know." Beth could feel her lower lip trembling, and she tried to hold it together.

Max frowned, "Beth are you ok?"

With a shaking hand, she reached up and pulled back the sliding lock, letting the door swing open. Max's mouth dropped open when he saw the state of her, her cheek covered in congealed blood, streaks of dirt and tears on her face, and two marks on her wrist where it looked like someone had grabbed her. Max pushed into the house and shut the door behind him.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, looking at her.

Beth was trying to formulate an answer but she couldn't. As the tears fell down her face she threw herself forward into Max's arms. Max was shocked, but after a while wrapped his arms round her. "Shh, you're ok now. You're ok. Come on, let's go and sit down." Max led Beth into the living room. "Beth, what happened?"

Beth said two words, "Charlie Smith."

"What did he do to you?" Max asked, and Beth could hear the soft angry undercurrent to his voice.

"He followed me from Jay's house, he pulled my arm and pinned me against the wall. Saying that Jay was no good for me and he would be better. I said no, he got angry, he pushed himself against me. I kicked him and he let go, I started to run but he grabbed me by the ankle and pulled me down. I hit my cheek on a stone, and then kicked him again. He let me go and I ran." Beth said, staring forward like a zombie, her blue eyes unblinking.

"Right, I'm going to take you to the hospital then we're going to the station. I'm just going to go into the hall and make some calls." Max got up, but stopped when he heard Beth.

"No, please don't leave me, please. What if he comes here?" Beth said, quickly wiping the tears with her sleeve.

"He doesn't know you live here. You're going to be ok. I won't be a minute."

_Untouched, untouched, untouched, untouched, untouched  
Alalalala alalalala  
Untouched  
Alalalala alalalala_

Max quickly walked into the hall, thinking that Beth must think him a complete bastard for leaving her when she asked him not to. He pulled out his phone and dialled Neil's number. "Gov? It's Max. Beth has been assaulted by Charlie Smith. I'm going to take her to the hospital then bring her to the station. We're going to need to take a statement." Max waited for Neil's reply, then said, "Well she's pretty shaken up. She's got a cut cheek and marks on her wrists. I've got to go Gov, she was pretty scared. I'll be at the station soon. Yep, bye." Max hung up, and ran his hand through his hair. He walked back into the living room. "Come on, we're going to the hospital." Max offered Beth his hand, and she took it gratefully. They stood there for a minute, just staring at each other. The chemistry between them was tangible. Beth bit her lip, and Max leaned in slowly, seeking approval in her eyes. She discreetly nodded, and Max gently pressed his lips against hers. "You're gonna be ok, I promise."

"Thank you Max. And I'm sorry about the whole being a complete bitch to you." Beth said quietly as Max led her to his car.

"Don't apologise. I was a complete bastard to you, so looks like we're even. Right, let's get you seen to." Max opened the door for Beth, and he shut it before going to the drivers side. What the hell had he just done? He had just kissed her, pretty much taken advantage of her. Bloody brilliant.

_I feel so untouched  
And I want you so much  
That I just can't resist you  
It's not enough to say that I miss you  
I feel so untouched right now  
Need you so much somehow  
I can't forget you  
Been going crazy from the moment I met you  
Untouched, untouched, untouched_

_**Song- The Veronicas: Untouched**_


	5. Behind Closed Doors

**Wow I sure am on a roll! Many thanks to my reviewers, you know who you are, Krissie, Aileen, Hollie, Jo and Meg. Enjoy!**

_You think you've got me figured out  
You think you know what I'm about  
Don't believe what you read  
Half of the things you see  
Thought you'd figured this out by now  
and who would have known  
That our lives could be so exposed  
Where we will end up  
Nobody knows  
What do we know  
What what do we know _

It was just after midnight when Max and Beth finally got into the car to go the station. Once the cut on Beth's cheek was cleaned, it was apparent it was only superficial, and as the nurse explained, facial wounds bled a lot more than other wounds. Beth only had to have three butterfly stitches and she was set to go. When they got out the doors into the cool night air, Beth realised how tired she was. She followed Max to the car, trying to stay awake. She didn't realise that Max was the one buckling her in. As he sat in the drivers seat, Beth turned to face him.

"I don't wanna give a statement." she said sleepily.

"Sorry Beth, but you have to." Max said, his eyes on the road.

"But I can't afford to pull out the operation now. If I make a statement then Charlie will be arrested, he'll know I was a cop and then I'll have to pull out." Beth said adamantly.

Max quickly turned to look at her, her eyes drooping, her long dark hair all ruffled. "You can't stay in on this operation. Not now." Max said sharply.

Beth's eyes snapped open, and her defences came up, "Why not? I want to!"

"I don't give a toss if you want to. You're not staying there when he's capable of hurting you like that. I'm sure the DI will agree with me." Max said.

"Oh, so this is a case of you don't want me getting hurt again? I knew the risks, and I accepted them. This was just a blip. And the DI will see my side of it and see that its more beneficial for me to stay in." Beth protested.

"A blip? A blip?! Beth, I don't know if you know this, but he tried to rape you. And then even when you kicked him, he tried to drag you back towards him. He threatened to do to you what he did to Kelly. You can't expect me to let you put yourself back there." he stated simply. "As your handler, I have to look out for your safety, and this isn't a safe situation anymore. What if he tries it again?"

"Then I can fight him off again! I may be little, but I can pack a punch." Beth said, anger in her voice. Then her face softened and she turned to Max, "I understand that you don't want me getting hurt. But it's part of the job. You don't know how many times I've been hit or kicked by criminals, and that was when they knew I was a cop. I need to do this, we need a result. Please."

Max sighed, "I don't know. I'll need to go over all the safety aspects with the DI, but ultimately it's up to you and the DI. I'd rather you didn't."

"What so you can prove to yourself that I wasn't up to the job? That I wasn't experienced enough to handle it?" Beth asked, anger flooding her voice again. Why did he make her angry?

"Beth, I've apologised for that. Why can't you let it go?" he asked her, trying to control his anger.

"I don't know. Something about you makes me raise my defences." Beth said, trying to think about it.

She didn't speak for five minutes, and when Max turned to look at her, she was fast asleep in the seat, her hair hanging like a dark curtain in front of her face. Max thought back to earlier that evening when they'd kissed. Neither of them had mentioned it again, and Max wasn't about to bring it up. He didn't regret it, which is probably what Beth thought, but he wasn't comfortable with the idea of kissing her when her defences were down and she was in need of comfort. Max shook his head as he pulled into a space at the station. He opened his door, and walked round to Beth's side. He undid her seatbelt and gently shook her.

"Beth? We're at the station. Come on, you need to wake up." Max said shaking her by the shoulders gently.

"Wh...what? Did I fall asleep?" she asked, her voice slurred as if she'd been drinking.

"Yep. Come on, let's get into the warm." Max helped her out the car and shut the doors and locked it up. They walked into the station side by side, not quite touching.

_Behind closed doors(behind closed doors)  
You cant imagine  
Behind closed doors  
Is where it happens  
Behind closed doors  
That's where the truth is  
That's where the lie is  
That's where I'm hiding  
behind closed doors(behind closed doors)  
behind closed doors(behind closed doors)  
behind closed doors(behind closed doors)_

The following day, Beth woke up in her bed and stretched slowly. It had been a long night. She'd been at the station for three hours talking with the Inspector, the DI, Sergeant Smith and Max. They were discussing whether it was safe for her to go back undercover, but all of them, except Max, said it was ultimately her decision. Both the Inspector and Smithy weren't thrilled by the idea of her going back undercover, but they respected her decision. The DI was glad she would be going back undercover, but accepted that they needed to try and make it a safer job for her, not that they knew how. Max, however, was adamant that she was to be pulled out straight away. The others disagreed, and Beth was happy to be told that the op was still on. When she woke up, she could hear her TV, but she didn't remember leaving it on. She slowly climbed out of bed and pulled on her jumper. She padded out her bedroom to the living room, and saw a familiar head of blonde hair.

"Jess?" Beth questioned.

Jess turned around smiling, and then from round the front of the sofa, Lexi walked along, slightly wobbly, but she walked straight to Beth and raised her arms.

"UP!" Lexi demanded.

"Morning Lexi!" Beth said happily, complying and scooping up Lexi in her arms. She walked over to where Jess was sat on the sofa and sank down beside her. Jess took a sharp breath in when she saw Beth's face.

"Lexi, go and play with your toys sweetie." Jess said, smiling at her daughter. She placed Lexi on the floor in front of some blocks, and Lexi immediately became engrossed in them. "Is that what he did to you?"

Beth nodded, "Yeah. DS Carter took me to the hospital and then to the station. He wanted me to pull out of the op."

"And so you should! What if he does it again? And what are you gonna do when he's there as well, perving over you?" Jess demanded, glancing at the slight marks on Beth's wrists.

"Urgh! Don't make me convince you as well. I want to go back into the op. We need to catch these blokes, put them away for a long time. I don't want this happening to anyone else, but in order to put them all away for a long time it needs some planning, and for that I need to be undercover." Beth explained, trying to make Jess understand.

"I see your point, but I don't want you getting hurt again Beth. You could have come out of that a lot worse." Jess said gently.

"Jess, I really do appreciate your concern, but I'm fine, and I will carry on being fine. I've got the Inspector, the DI, Smithy, Max, Jay and now you all on my back." Beth said.

"What did Jay say?" Jess asked.

"He was absolutely furious, he was ready to go sort Charlie out himself. But I explained to him why that would be bad and why we had to stay in this op. He accepted it." Beth said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"And what if Charlie asks you in front of the others what happened to your face? What are you gonna say?" Jess asked.

"The story is that I was mugged on the way back from Jay's. End of." Beth stated.

"Fine, but you need to promise me to be careful." Jess said seriously.

"I promise. Thanks for coming over." Beth said gratefully, hugging Jess. They both laughed when Lexi pulled herself up onto the sofa in between them and immediately climbed onto Beth's lap. She flashed Beth a big smile and then turned her attention to the TV.

"You're lucky to have her and Callum, Jess." Beth said with a sad smile.

"I know. I count my lucky stars all the time." Jess said, holding her daughters hand.

_There's a man who lives in the street  
Trying to find his way  
In the night light he figured he found the best way to escape  
His addiction cost him everything  
Guess he thought it'd help him hide the pain _

A few days later, Jay was due to pick Beth up to take her to Leon's again. He arrived at the front door with some flowers. Beth took them with a smile.

"What are these for?" she asked, placing them in a jug in her living room before locking her front door and walking down the street with Jay, holding hands. They had to maintain their image of a couple at all times.

"I feel guilty for what happened. I should have walked you home, then this wouldn't have happened." Jay said, his head hung in shame.

"Jay, this was not your fault. Do not even try and blame yourself." Beth said sternly.

Jay laughed at the expression on her face, "Ok, ok. Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Yes. Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Beth asked in an exasperated tone.

"Because we all care about you and don't want you getting hurt again. That's why." Jay said simply, following Beth up the concrete stairs to Leon's flat.

"Ok, before we get to his flat, what's this meeting about?" Beth asked quietly.

"Mike said something about a deal going on with the arm's dealer on the estate. I think they're exchanging drugs for guns." Jay whispered back.

"Oh my god, brilliant, just brilliant." Beth said sarcastically.

"Chin up darlin'. Right, time to get the game face on. You ready?" Jay asked, pausing before walking down the terrace to Leon's flat.

"Yep, let's go." Beth said, rubbing her thumb along Jay's hand.

_And who would have known  
Has a wife, two kids and a three-storey home  
Got all these things yet he's still alone  
What do we know  
What do we know _

Jay knocked twice, and they waited for the door to be opened. When it did, Beth shrank back slightly; it was Charlie.

"Alright Jay, go through to the living room." Charlie said, smacking Jay on the back. Then he turned to Beth with a smirk on his face. "Come on in darlin'." Beth walked into the hall, about to follow Jay down the corridor when Charlie grabbed her arm. "How did you get that cut on your face?"

"I got mugged on the way home from Jay's a few days ago." Beth said, staring at him.

"Good girl. Did you tell the police about this mugging?" Charlie asked, a sinister undertone to his question.

"No, I didn't." Beth held her breath, waiting for Charlie to say something.

"Well aren't you a good little girl. It hurt me, you know, when you told me you didn't want me. But never mind, it's all forgotten." Charlie said with a smile.

"Oh, ok, good." Beth smiled back tentatively, then quickly walked into the living room and sat next to Jay on the sofa. Charlie came into the room, and said to Jay, "Right, me and Mike are going out. Leon will explain what's happening. Bye bye Beth." he said, winking at Beth as he walked out the room followed by Mike.

"Leon?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, right. This deal, between us and Luke Stewart. We're gonna exchange some coke for three guns, four if you want one as well. Come out here and I'll give you more details." Leon said, looking suspiciously at Beth; he didn't trust her. Jay got up and walked out into the hall to talk to Leon. Beth got up and walked out into the hall out into the kitchen. She stood with her back against the wall so she could hear them better.

"Stewart is getting the guns in for later today, and we have three hours to sort the whole thing out. Mike and Charlie have gone to sort out the coke, ready to split it up to give to him. We're sending Kristen Johnson down there with the coke and to get the guns. She's gonna make the exchange under the underpass at Wright Street, and then she's gonna dump the guns in a bin by the park, where we want you to wait so you can collect the guns. Then bring them straight to us." Leon said.

"Right ok. When do you want me down there?" Jay asked.

"At around 2ish. You need to be at the entrance where the play park is, that's where she's dumping them." Leon said, and Beth shook her head. They were going to drop off a package of three guns in a bin by a play park where there would be children playing. Nice. "In the living room is more details if you wanna read them, make sure you know exactly what you're doing. If you mess up..."Leon left the threat empty.

Beth got her phone out, ready to ring Max. She quickly went into the hall and said to Leon that she was just going to ring her mum. She walked over to the counter where the kettle was and rested against it. Max picked up after three rings.

"Max, it's Beth. I need to talk to you soon. I've got something to tell you. Can we meet up later?" Beth said into the phone.

"Beth, I'm putting you on loud speaker, are you ok to talk?" Max asked, placing his phone on the desk and calling over the DI.

Beth walked to the kitchen door and quickly pushed it shut. "Ok, I've gotta be quick though. There's an exchange happening at the underpass on Wright street in about three hours. Drugs are being exchanged for three maybe four guns." Beth said, and quickly changed tact when she heard someone approaching the kitchen; Leon. "Ok mum, I'll talk to you later, take care..." Before she could finish Leon ripped the phone out of her hand.

"Beth? Beth are you there?" Max asked, not realising Leon was listening.

"I thought you were talking to your mum?" Leon asked suspiciously.

"Oh, um yeah I was." Beth said, fear rising.

"Well your mum sounds suspiciously like a man." Leon said, his dark eyes glinting.

"My mum had to go and then my brother rang me..." Beth started, but she couldn't finish as Leon's hand had come round and hit her across the cheek, the one which didn't have stitches on. "What the hell was that for?" she asked, her fear leaving her to be replaced by anger, her hand flashing up to her red, hot cheek.

"Lying to me. I don't like lying. Don't do it again." Leon said, walking out the kitchen.

"Oh my god, twice in two days. Max is gonna kill me." Beth said, shutting her eyes wearily.

_Behind closed doors(behind closed doors)  
Behind closed doors(behind closed doors)  
Behind closed doors(behind closed doors)  
That's were the truth is  
That's were the lie is _

Later that evening, after Jay had ranted at her and then dropped her home, Beth was just emerging out the bath when the doorbell rang. She wrapped a towel round her and ran down the stairs to answer the door. Outside was Max. He quickly looked at what she was wearing then focused on her face, looking slightly uncomfortable. But on her face he saw the bright red hand mark. His eyes narrowed.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Well I'm sort of getting dressed." Beth said with a small smile.

"It won't take long." he said, and Beth sighed and opened the door so he could pass. He stalked down the hall into the living room, and as Beth shut the door and followed him, she quickly glanced in her hall mirror, where it was clear she had been hit. Oh crap, she thought. As she rounded into the living room, Max was stood on the other side, leaning against the fireplace.

"Tea?" Beth asked, pulling the towel tighter and quickly pulling her hair up into a messy bun.

Max ignored the question, and said through gritted teeth, "What happened to your face?"

Beth feigned ignorance, "What do you mean?"

Max saw straight through her though, "I mean how did you end up with a hand mark on your face?"

"Well, Leon hit me." Beth said quietly, avoiding Max's glare.

"Why?" Max snapped.

"Because I lied to him. I said I was calling my mum when I called you, then he heard your voice, and slapped me." Beth said, risking a quick look at Max. He looked furious.

"Why the hell didn't you just tell him you were talking to your brother?" Max questioned.

"Because if I was talking to my mum it wouldn't seem as suspicious to him! He is suspicious of me ok?" Beth spat back at him.

"Beth, why didn't you tell me that? How could you let this happen less than 24 hours after Charlie tried to rape you? What's gonna be next? Is Michael gonna jump you tomorrow?" Max asked, disbelieving.

"Just back off ok! I didn't ask Charlie to try and rape me did I? That wasn't my fault! I admit this was my fault. Why didn't I tell you? Are you serious? Look at yourself, look at your reaction. Is it any wonder I hold off on telling you stuff?" Beth said, hands on her hips.

"Oh so now it's my fault that I'm a crap handler? It doesn't matter, you should still tell me. For crying out loud, Leon could have done much worse. I swear you're trying to push each of them, seeing how far they'll go." Max said, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh yeah Max, I wanted to see if I could get Leon to hit me as hard as he could, and next I'll get Michael to push me down some stairs and then jump on my head." Beth said.

"Don't say that." Max said quietly.

"Don't say what? Max, you're making me out to be some attention seeking woman who wants men to beat her up so she gets attention. Well that's not true! Guys think they can push me around cause I don't look like I can fight back, but I can, and they don't like it." Beth said, looking straight at Max.

"Why did you agree to go back to the op?" Max asked.

"I told you already." Beth replied.

"I think you're doing it to try and prove yourself to me." Max said.

Beth gave a bitter laugh, "Don't flatter yourself. I want to show everyone, not just you, that I am capable and that I won't let a small cut to the cheek stop me. Now back off ok?"

"Beth..." Max started, but Beth interrupted him.

"Are you now going to apologise for kissing me? I bet you thought you were taking advantage didn't you?" Beth questioned, giving another bitter laugh when she saw the look on his face. "You weren't taking advantage ok?"

"But Beth, you had nearly been raped, you had lost a lot of blood, you were in shock, and I kissed you when I shouldn't have done. I took advantage." Max shouted at her, losing it.

"Grow up Max! I'm a big girl, I can handle it!" Beth shouted back.

"That's the thing though, you look like a girl, not an adult, a girl!" Max shot back.

Beth recoiled as if she'd been slapped, "So you won't kiss me because I look younger than I am?"

_And you try and you try  
But no one hears you cry  
Deep inside all you hold is the truth  
Play your mind through the lies  
Keep your eyes on the prize  
In the end all you have is you _

Max growled and crossed the room in three big strides. He placed one hand in Beth's hair, and the other on the small of her back, pulling her to him roughly. He pushed his lips against hers passionately, and she complied, greedily wanting more. Her hair fell out of its bun, and Max ran his fingers through her damp hair. Beth pulled his jacket off and threw it into the corner, and then ran her hands up his chest. Max pulled back, as if to stop, but Beth pulled him back to her, hissing, "Don't you dare." to him. Max undid his shirt, throwing it on top of his coat, and Beth ran her hands back up his well defined torso. As they kissed, Beth worked on his belt, pulling it off, and then unzipping his trousers. Max pulled at Beth's towel until it fell into a white heap at their feet. Max stepped out of his trousers, and they fell onto Beth's sofa into a heap, laughing, hitting the jug of flowers that Jay had brought round onto the floor. They carried on kissing, and started to explore each others bodies, both remembering the last time they had done this when they were both drunk out of their heads, and how different it was now that they were sober.

_Behind closed doors  
Behind closed doors(behind closed doors)  
You cant imagine (you'd never know)  
Behind closed doors  
Is where it happened (nobody knows)  
Behind closed doors  
That's where the truth is  
That's where the lie is  
That's where I'm hiding_

Beth awoke to sun flooding through her living room window. She looked down at herself, seeing that someone had covered her in a blanket...Max, Beth realised. She sat up, pushing her hair back, and looked around her. His clothes were gone, and evidently so was he. She flopped back down onto the sofa, groaning. He can't deny this, not now, she thought to herself as she pulled herself back up and hunted around for something to cover herself in. She couldn't find anything, so wrapped the blanket round her toga style. She sat on the sofa, thinking back to last night. She had never experienced something so intense in her life, and wondered if Max felt the same. A lot of it was anger at each other, but that soon changed into passion. That had to be one of Beth's top nights, and she smiled at that thought. As she got up, ready to go and get changed, she saw a little note on the table. She picked it up and read it,

_Beth,_

_By the time you wake up, I'll be gone, no rest for the wicked. Before you even think it, I want you to know that I don't regret last night, but maybe it would be best to forget it happened. It's too complicated, you can see that can't you? Maybe when this whole operation is over, things can be different, but for now, I'm sorry, I can't._

_Max._

So that was that then. He didn't regret it, but nothing could come of it because he was her handler and it was too complicated. But, that must mean he wouldn't necessarily object to anything happening, as he said maybe when this whole operation is over then something could happen. Well, that was better than nothing.

_Behind closed doors(behind closed doors)  
Behind closed doors(behind closed doors)  
Nobody knows  
That you never saw  
Behind closed doors_

_**Song- Peter Andre: Behind Closed Doors**_


	6. We'll Be Watching You

**Here we go, the next instalment. A big thanks to all my reviewers, Aileen, Krissie, Hollie, Jo and Meg, lots of love!**

Over the weeks, the chemistry between Beth and Max was slowly growing, heading for melting point. Whenever they saw each other in the station, they would ignore the other, maybe say a brief hello, but that would be it. This made it hard for them to work together. Max was her handler, they were supposed to be talking and communicating all the time about the operation. But luckily, or maybe unluckily, for Beth, nothing much had been happening regarding the operation. The arms dealer who Beth had tipped Max of to had been arrested, as was all the cocaine that was going to be used for payment. A success for sure. But Charlie was getting suspicious, this was the second time that their operations had been ruined by the police, and he wanted to know why. This made it hard for Beth, she had to remain in her role even though Leon was suspicious of her, and Charlie was looking for the snitch. Beth told Max about their suspicions of her, and Max warned her to be careful, offered her the choice to get out, but she had declined. They didn't even mention the night they had spent together, Max didn't say anything about the note. Beth would have thought she dreamt the note up if it weren't for her constantly re-reading it.

_Every breath you take  
Every move you make  
Every bond you break  
Every step you take  
I'll be watching you_

It was the beginning of June, 10 o'clock at night, and Jay and Beth were heading up the now familiar steps to Leon's flat.

"Sounded pretty urgent on the phone." Jay said, holding Beth's hand in his.

"Maybe it's another arms deal? But why would they call it for so late?" Beth asked.

"I don't know darlin', this sounded different somehow." Jay said, shaking his head.

"We need to try and get them off the whole thinking we're snitches trail, otherwise we could be in deep trouble." Beth said.

"But Beth, we are the snitches, it's hard to pretend not to." Jay said, looking at her as they got to the top of the stairs.

"I know, I know, but we have to. If they find out, we're as good as dead." Beth said seriously, willing Jay to understand the enormity of what would happen if they found out that Beth was a cop and Jay was a snitch. "Whatever happens, they cannot find out about me."

Jay sighed, and pushed a bit of Beth's hair back, "I know darlin'. I won't tell them, don't worry."

Beth breathed a sigh of relief and followed Jay to the flat.

_Every single day  
Every word you say  
Every game you play  
Every night you stay  
I'll be watching you_

Leon opened the door this time, beckoning for Jay to go in. When Beth tried to go in the flat, Leon stopped her with his arm. Jay turned around, looking at Leon.

"Leon, let her in." Jay said.

"Sorry, no can do. Charlie is trying to figure out who the snitch is, and until he knows, she ain't allowed in." Leon said, smiling cruelly at Beth.

"What? That's bull!" Jay said, his voice getting louder.

"It's bull is it? Well tell that to Charlie." Leon said, with a pointed look behind Jay. Jay spun around to see Charlie stood there, his arms crossed.

"Trying to find out who the snitch is, that's bull is it Jay? You're in as much trouble as we are if the police find out. As much as I like your bird, she ain't coming in. End of. Sorry babe." Charlie said to Beth.

Jay was about to protest when Beth interrupted, "Jay, it's fine. I'll wait at yours. Give us the key." Beth said. Jay walked over to where Beth was, and waited for Leon to move out the way. He eventually moved, and Jay handed the keys to Beth. He kissed her quickly, looking apologetic. "I'll see you at home." Beth said, managing a smile. She didn't like this, not one bit.

Before Leon shut the door, Charlie said, "Be careful of muggers, you wouldn't want them to get you again, would you darlin'?"

The door was shut in her face, and she made her way back down the stairs and started to head for the cafe where she and Max would meet to discuss the op. She pulled out her phone and dialled his number.

"Max, we need to meet up now." Beth said quickly into the phone, looking up to Leon's flat.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Max asked, already getting his jacket on and leaving the station to get to his car.

"I'll tell you when I see you. Meet me at the cafe. See you soon." Beth replied, hanging up and making her way to the cafe.

_Oh, cant you see  
You belong to me  
How my poor heart aches  
With every step you take_

Ten minutes later, Beth was sat in her usual chair at her and Max's normal table. Between her hands was a latte, and Max's black coffee was in front of his empty chair. The bell on the door tinkled, announcing someone's entrance to the cafe. Beth looked up and was relieved to finally see Max walk in. He hurried over to their table and sat down. He looked at her carefully, "So what's going on? I thought you were with Jay?"

"I was, we were supposed to be going to Leon's. We got there, Leon let Jay in, but wouldn't let me pass. Charlie then came out, said it was because they were trying to find out about the snitch, and until they did I wasn't allowed to come with Jay. So I said I'd wait at Jay's for him. Then I rang you. I didn't like it, it felt wrong. I think they were planning on doing something to him." Beth said, blurting out the story.

"Hm, sounds a bit off. Let me call it in, see what the DI says. Do you think Jay could be in danger?" Max asked, scrutinising Beth's face.

Beth shrugged her shoulders, "I really don't know. They might just have wanted to talk, but they've been suspicious of both me and Jay recently, so maybe they're questioning him? Or they could be trying to get more about me, cause they don't know me, and to them, if they're smart enough, they would have figured out that they started getting ratted out on as soon as I showed up." Beth said, wringing her hands.

"Ok. I'll call it in." Max pulled his phone out and took a sip of his coffee. He then called the DI, relaying what Beth had just told him. After a few non-committal responses, Max put the phone down.

"What did he say?" Beth asked, finishing off her drink.

"He said to try Jay's phone in a minute, see if he answers. If he doesn't, keep trying, and if he still isn't answering, we'll go to Leon's, see what's happening." Max said.

"Ok, but something isn't right, I'll tell you that now." Beth said, praying that Jay was ok.

_Every move you make  
Every vow you break  
Every smile you fake  
Every claim you stake  
I'll be watching you_

At Leon's, Jay had been pushed into the living room. Leon was looking out the window.

"She's gone." he said, turning to stand next to Michael and Charlie.

"Now then Jay, who is she?" Charlie asked.

"Who?" Jay asked, playing dumb.

"Beth, you're girlfriend, or is she?" Charlie asked, raising his eyebrows at Jay.

"Yeah, she's Beth, we've been going out for just over two months, she used to be a druggie, but stopped when she had a miscarriage and nearly died. Why?" Jay asked, not liking where this was going.

"Because ever since she started showing up with you, we've been given a lot of attention by the cops. Any explanation as to why that is?" Charlie asked, a dangerous lilt to his voice.

"I have no clue Charlie, why don't you ask her?" Jay asked, discreetly stepping back from them.

"We thought we'd give you a chance to explain first." Mike said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. She's my girlfriend, I don't know what you think she is." Jay said.

"We think she's a grass." Charlie said, watching Jay's face carefully.

Jay had a shocked look on his face, "What?! You think she's a grass?! I don't think so, not Beth."

"Well we think so, and we will find out. Now, why don't we go to your flat and see if she's there, then we can ask her personally can't we." Charlie said, smiling at Jay.

"Fine, but she'll say the same as me." Jay said, his stomach starting to churn.

Leon grabbed Jay by the upper arm and led him out the flat and across the estate to Jay's own flat.

_Since you've gone I been lost without a trace  
I dream at night I can only see your face  
I look around but it's you I can't replace  
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace  
I keep crying baby, baby, please..._

Beth and Max had left the cafe just before eleven pm, and Max was driving them back to Beth's. Beth had tried ringing Jay six times, but each time it went to answer phone. She was starting to really worry now, it wasn't like Jay to ignore her. She knew that something was wrong.

"Max, he still isn't picking up, there's something really wrong. He doesn't ignore me like this." Beth said, holding her phone tightly.

"Maybe he's busy." Max said, knowing that it sounded weak even to his own ears.

"What the hell would he be doing at eleven o'clock at night?" Beth snapped.

"You're not going to help matters by getting angry at me, you need to keep a clear head." Max said quietly.

"You're right, sorry. It's just if anything happens to him, it'll be my fault." Beth said, feeling guilt.

"No it won't, he'll be fine I'm sure." Max said, pulling into a space a few yards down from Beth's house. Neither of them made a move. Beth turned to Max.

"I think we should talk." she said quietly.

"What about?" Max asked.

"About that." Beth replied. She got out the car and walked to her house, up the stairs, and stood in front of the front door. After a few seconds, Max followed suit. She opened the door and went to sit in the living room. She heard the front door slam, and then Max was in the living room. "Sit down." She indicated to the chair across from her. He sat down and looked at her.

"What are we talking about?" Max asked, determined to ignore what happened a few nights ago.

"That. The fact that whenever something happens between us you ignore it. It pisses me off." Beth said simply.

"I don't ignore it! I left you a note, that's hardly ignoring it is it?!" Max shot at her.

"Wow Max, a note, a note that you haven't said anything else about. I don't know what to think. Is it something that happens randomly, or is it something more?" Beth asked him, unleashing the full force of her big blue eyes on him.

"I'm no good for you." Max said, so quietly that Beth had to ask him to say it again. "I said, I am no good for you."

"Isn't it up to me to decide that?" Beth replied, "Or am I too much of a girl that I can't make my own decisions?"

"Beth, why do you have to bring up things I've said in the past? Do you write them down or something, so that you can bring them out to prove your points when we're arguing?" Max asked her, a steely tone to his voice.

"I don't know, you just have that affect on me." Beth replied.

"See that's why I'm not good for you." he said.

"I think you are though." Beth said.

"What about the age difference? The fact that I am your senior officer, and your handler. I'm someone you have to work with a lot. It wouldn't work." he said, trying to think of more reasons why it wouldn't work.

"So because we work together, we can't have a relationship? What about Jess and Callum? Callum is her senior officer, yet they've been married for nearly two years and they have a baby. And what about Nate and Sally?" Beth said, her voice becoming louder.

"Beth, I don't know if I can have a relationship right now, ok? The other night, well it was fun, yeah, but that doesn't mean that we should become a couple." Max said harshly.

Beth just stared at him, then walked out the living room to her bedroom.

_Oh, can't you see  
You belong to me  
How my poor heart aches  
With every breath you take_

At Jay's flat, Mike had bundled Jay through his flat until they got to the living room. He threw him roughly on the floor. Charlie and Leon followed.

"Oh, where's the girlfriend Jay? She doesn't seem to be here!" Charlie said.

"I don't know, maybe she's at a friends or her brother's. He lives nearby she said." Jay said, pulling himself up onto the sofa.

"Jay, I'm gonna ask you one last time, who is Beth?" Charlie asked.

"She's my girlfriend, how many times do I have to tell you!" Jay shouted at him.

"Right, maybe you'll change your answer in a minute." Charlie said, his face blank, "Leon, Mike, do it."

Michael pushed Jay back onto the floor and pinned him down. Leon came over and stamped on Jay's face. Jay screamed in pain, and blood streamed down where his nose had broken. Leon began kicking him in the face, on the chest, on his entire body. He then stamped on Jay's left leg, and they all heard the sharp crack of his bone fracturing. Jay screamed in pain again, louder than last time. He couldn't protect himself, Mike was holding him down. He couldn't give Beth up as a cop, but they were going to kill him. He apologised to her in his head, and hoped that she would understand.

"We can carry on until you're dead Jay. There are more where you came from." Charlie said, pulling out a knife. "Last time Jay, otherwise this goes straight into your heart. Who is Beth?"

Mike and Leon walked to the side of Jay so Charlie could get close enough to brandish the knife in Jay's face. Jay coughed, blood spewing onto the carpet along with a few teeth. "Ok, ok, just give me a minute." Jay took some deep breaths, wincing as his rips expanded.

"So? We haven't got all night." Charlie said, inching closer with the knife.

"Beth. She's a cop, she's undercover." Jay said weakly.

"You fucking what?! You've let a cop into my flat?" Leon shouted at him, stamping on his face again. Jay's hand flew up to his face, trying to protect himself.

"We need to get rid of her, we can't have her ruining everything, not now. Leon, let's get back to yours, leave him here to die." Charlie spat at Jay, and then the three men left him alone.

_Every move you make  
Every vow you break  
Every smile you fake  
Every claim you stake  
I'll be watching you_

At Beth's house, Beth was still in her room. She ran a finger under her eye, wiping away the tears. She was getting all the mascara off her face when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Beth? I need to talk to you." Max said through the door.

"What, so you can insult me some more? I don't think so." Beth hissed, carrying on removing her make up.

"No Beth, it's about Jay. Open the door." Max said, knowing that she would open up now.

Beth paused, and threw the wet wipe in the bin before opening the door. One look at Max's face confirmed her fears, "They've killed him haven't they?"

"No no, he's been badly beaten though. He's got two black eyes, a broken nose, a few teeth have been knocked out, some broken ribs, one of which punctured him lung, and he has a fractured leg. He's been slipping in and out of conciousness, but when he was concious when they were taking him to the hospital, he said "Keep Beth safe." They must know that you're a cop." Max said, watching as Beth's face crumbled.

"They're going to come after me aren't they?" Beth asked quietly, not bearing to look into Max's face.

"We think so. The DI wants you moved to a safe house right away." Max said.

"But they don't know where I live." Beth said.

"Beth, how easy would it be to find you though." Max retorted.

"Well if that's the case I'm just as safe here as I would be at a safe house." Beth protested.

"It is the DI's instructions that I bring you to the station straight away until a house is ready." Max instructed.

"So they haven't even got a house ready? That's it then, I'm staying here." Beth said, staring straight at Max.

"Beth, for crying out loud, why do you have to be so stubborn?!" Max said in frustration.

"I'm not moving out of my house and that's that." Beth said with a small smile.

"Fine. You can explain that to the DI then." Max said, his hand outstretched with his phone in it. Beth took the phone and dialled the DI's number and promptly began to explain why she wasn't moving from her house. After a few minutes, Beth gave the phone back to Max, a triumphant look on her face.

"He wants to talk to you." Beth said, turning to her dressing table and brushing out her hair.

"Gov?" Max asked. After five minutes, Max hung up, wanting to glare at Beth but knowing that would be childish. "He says if you want to stay then you have to accept someone keeping an eye on you at all times."

"Fine. As long as I can stay here that's fine." Beth said.

"And you're not allowed out the house at all." Max added.

"Well how am I supposed to do my shopping?" Beth asked incredulously.

"I'll do it for you. I'm the one keeping an eye on you, there's a flat across the road that I will temporarily be living in so I can keep a better eye on you." Max said with a small smile.

"Are you serious?" Beth asked, her eyes suddenly wide.

"Deadly." Max replied.

_Every move you make  
Every step you take  
I'll be watching you_

"Leon, what have you got?" Charlie asked from his seat in Leon's house.

"I think I've got an address, she wasn't that hard to find. Her name is Bethany Green, and she's a police officer with Sun Hill." Leon replied handing Charlie some papers.

"She doesn't look old enough to be a police officer." Mike said.

"She's only 22." Leon replied.

"Right, we need to get a definite address, then Mike, we'll go pay her a visit." Charlie said with an evil smile.

_I'll be watching you  
I'll be watching you  
I'll be watching you  
I'll be watching you..._

_**Song- The Police: Every Breath You Take**_


	7. Hold Me Close

**Hello hello hello, welcome to the next installment. Thank you x 100 to my amazing reviewers, Hollie, Jo, Meg, Krissie, Aileen and littlebit 100, you're awesome, pat yourselves on the back ;) Enjoy!**

That night, Max moved in all his personal items, which wasn't a lot, into the flat across the road from Beth's house. He wasn't sure whether to be happy or not that he would be living in such proximity to her. His body didn't mind at all, it was his head that was the problem. No matter what he told her, he knew that the excuses he gave for not becoming a couple were weak, and he was running out of them. He needed to think of something stronger, an excuse which would stick, but for now he would just have to deflect her questions. One good thing though was that Beth had put aside their rowing for now and invited him over for dinner the next night. She knew that he wouldn't have anything in, and it was sort of a peace offering, an olive branch between them. It had only taken a few seconds for Max to agree, and now he was glad he would have some company. It had been so many years since he'd shared a dinner with someone, it would be stranger, but nice.

_Tell me something that I know  
Just something that I understand  
I need to taste the warming glow  
Of your medicating hands_

Leon walked into the living room where Charlie was sat going over details with Michael.

"Charlie? The address I found earlier was her permanent address. But she's probably guessed by now that we're after her next. Her place might be crawling with cops, or she might not even be there anymore!" Leon said, handing Charlie an address.

"Well we're going to have to take that risk. No-one messes me around like that and gets away with it. She might be pretty, but she isn't so pretty that I don't mind giving her a seeing to. So Mike, you know what you're doing yeah?" Charlie asked Mike. He could be a bit of a loose canon, but he was better with his hands than Leon was.

"Yes Charlie, how hard can beating a woman up be? Especially a woman cop." Mike said, a trace of hunger in his voice.

"That may be, but you need to keep focused, we don't want to alert the neighbours that anything is wrong do we." Charlie warned.

"No boss. It's fine, I know what I'm doing, I have done this before you know." Mike said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, and you get arrested for it, you got caught Mike, that's hardly knowing what you're doing." Charlie said, shaking his head. "We'll leave at eight o'clock tonight, so be ready."

"Yep, I will be, don't worry." Michael said, flexing his fingers.

_I know I'm ready for your love  
I just don't understand it  
There is a silent pact of trust  
That I never could admit  
That I never could_

As Beth started getting ready for dinner, she didn't know why she offered to feed Max as well, especially after what they said to each other yesterday. But, truth be told, she felt sorry for him. He had obviously had bad experiences with relationships, and now didn't want to commit in case it happened again. But he should know her well enough by now that she wouldn't mess him around, she just wasn't like that. She sighed, and rummaged through her wardrobe trying to decide what to wear. She finally settled on slim fitting black jeans and a dusk rose coloured top that floated around her. She put on some black heels, and then started on her hair and make up. She pushed her hair back and put foundation on, then went to her eyes. She put on some eye liner and then some mascara. Finally she plucked out a pale pink lipgloss from her make-up bag and slicked it across her lips. She untied her hair, and brushed it through a few times, leaving it down. "Right, now I just have to cook to food." She said, pushing her chair away from the dressing table and heading down the stairs into the kitchen. She looked in her cupboards, trying to think what to cook, and then she settled on a simple chicken stir fry. "Let's hope he likes Chinese."

_So now I'm telling you the reason I'm all messed up  
Just have to look me in the eyes and I fall apart  
Please let me hold you 'til I know we are both through this  
I couldn't lead another day without you here in my arms_

It was seven thirty pm, and Max was just about to take a shower. As he showered, he wondered what he should wear. Was this like a formal thing? Or just a TV dinner on the sofa? No, Beth was too refined for TV dinners. Well, he couldn't go wrong with simple jeans and a shirt, and his favourite cologne. He still had twenty minutes before he was due at Beth's, so he rang the hospital for an update on Jay.

"Hello, this is DS Max Carter. I'm ringing for an update on the patient Jay Marsden? He was brought in this morning in the early hours."

"I'll just put you through to the ward. If you could hold a minute please." the nurse on the other end said.

"DS Carter?" another voice said.

"Yes, how's Jay doing?" Max asked.

"Well he's concious, and his leg has been plastered. He had to have a tube put in his chest where the lung had collapsed due to the broken ribs, so he's breathing ok with that in. He seems to be ok, he's flirting with the nurses anyway." the nurse gave a hearty laugh and Max smiled.

"That's great. If you could just tell him that Max and Beth want him to get well soon and we'll come visit him soon. Thank you, bye." Max said, hanging up. Their names sounded pretty good together...Max and Beth, Beth and Max. Max shook his head. God, he was acting like one of those schoolgirls who scrawled their names over their notepads with their crushes surname added onto the end. Get a grip, he told himself, flicking the TV on.

_You look so fragile I could break  
But I try to hold myself  
Together for the both of us  
But in truth I'm just as scared_

Michael arrived at Charlie's at quarter to eight in dark clothing and thick black gloves.

"All ready, the car is outside ready to go." Mike said as soon as the door was opened by Leon.

"Right ok, Charlie is nearly ready. Make sure you don't get caught, otherwise this comes to my door." Leon warned.

"Chill Leon, jeez you're almost as bad as Charlie!" Mike said, shaking his head.

"Michael, all set?" Charlie asked as he came round the corner, zipping his coat up.

"Yep, car's all ready to go." Mike said, leading Charlie down the stairs to a black Mercedes with tinted windows.

"Where's the car from?" Charlie asked, sliding into the front passenger seat.

"Outside this pub. The bloke was about to get in, so I took it from him." Michael said, driving the car off of the estate and towards the address Leon had given them.

"Hmm, nice choice. Now, let's go pay PC Green a friendly visit." Charlie said, starting straight ahead.

_I just wanna watch you sleep  
As you lie here beside me  
So close your eyes I'll guard the door  
And when you wake you'll wake with me  
And when you wake you'll_

Beth had just taken the vegetables off the hob and had placed it in two plates. Now she opened the pack of egg noodles and put them in a pan to cook. She had laid the table and lit two big candles which were flickering in the middle of the table. She guess that it could be seen as romantic, but it wasn't, she had dinner's like this with Sally and Jess all the time, and obviously that wasn't romantic. Beth tousled her hair and quickly checked her appearance in the mirror. Hmmm, she thought, cute but not desperate. She quickly tidied round the living room, then checked on the noodles again before sitting down, waiting for Max to arrive. A few minutes later, dead on time, the doorbell rang, and Beth got up and headed to the door, a smile creeping onto her face. She swung the front door open.

"Hi!" Beth said happily.

_So now I'm telling you the reason I'm all messed up  
Just have to look me in the eyes and I fall apart  
Please let me hold you 'til I know we are both through this  
I couldn't lead another day without you here in my arms_

Max was late. He was early, and now he was late, why did that always happen? He was watching TV, and the break came on, and he checked the clock to see it was just after quarter past eight. Oh crap, he thought, what a good person I am. He quickly ran into his bedroom and pulled his shoes on, grabbing his coat and keys as he left the flat. He ran down the stairs and across the road, quickly climbing Beth's stairs. He knocked on the door, but it was already open. He pushed it open warily.

"Beth?" he called.

_So now I'm telling you the reason I'm all messed up  
Just have to look me in the eyes and I fall apart  
Please let me hold you 'til I know we are both through this  
I couldn't lead another day without you here in my arms_

It wasn't Max. Beth tried to force the door back shut, but they were too strong. Mike pushed as hard as he could against the door, and it swung back with such force that some of the plaster came off the wall from behind the door. Charlie stepped through as Beth ran, trying to get to the back door before they could reach her.

"There's no point trying to run PC Green, you can't get away from us." Charlie called through the house.

Beth was in the kitchen. She pulled on the back door, but it wouldn't open, it was locked. She fumbled around, looking for the keys, where the hell were they? Now she was trapped, she wouldn't be able to get out the house without them seeing her. Where was Max? He should be here by now! Beth scrambled in her drawers, looking for some kind of weapon. She nearly laughed, she was in the kitchen for God sake, there were lots of big knives in the kitchen. She had nearly grabbed one when someone pulled her backwards by the hair. She screamed in pain, grabbing the hands that were clamped around her hair.

"Well well well, nice to see you again. Why didn't you tell us you were a cop Beth? We could have sorted it out nicely, we wouldn't have to kill you would we. You made a grave mistake when you went undercover, did you know then that you would end up dead? I suppose you had thought about it, I mean you must know how dangerous we are. Never mind, it's not like you'll be able to tell anyone else is it." Charlie laughed, his voice becoming deathly soft. "Now PC Green, you didn't have to cook dinner for us."

Mike laughed from his position, blocking the doorway, "Mm, Chinese, my favourite!"

"Do you remember, PC Green, when I threatened you, about Kelly I mean? Well you saw what Kelly looked like when I was done with her didn't you. Now you, you're even more special than Kelly. When they find your body, they won't even know it's you." Charlie said, running a hand down Beth's throat. She whimpered in fear and pain, knowing there was no way she would be getting out of this one alive. But then something in her snapped. Come on Beth, she thought, pull yourself together. Max will be here soon, you just have to fight until he gets his lazy ass over here. With a determined mindset, Beth thrust her left foot upward, the heel of her shoe connecting with Charlie's groin. He abruptly let go of her hair, but he didn't fall to the floor as she had hoped. Instead he stumbled backwards, steadied by Michael. Beth used this opportunity to grab for a knife. She got the biggest one she could, and as she was about to spin round to get Charlie, her hand was banged against the counter until her hand involuntarily opened and she dropped the knife.

"Now now PC Green, that's not playing fair is it." Charlie whispered in her ear. He spun her backwards, and she lost her balance, falling to the floor. Charlie began to kick her in the stomach, in the ribs, in the head. Beth curled into a foetal position, trying to protect her torso, her organs, her head. It wasn't working though, she could feel his boot connecting with her ribs over and over again. Then mercifully he stopped.

"Please, I won't say anything, just go now." she begged, feeling the bruises already forming all over her upper body. Charlie laughed at her.

"You think I'm going to leave after that? After what you've done to us? I don't think so." Charlie sneered at her. He dropped to the floor and straddled her, pinning her arms beside her under his body. He punched her once, twice, three times in the face, re-opening the cut she had got trying to get away from him when he attempted to rape her. Then he put both sides on either side of her face and leant down, as if to kiss her.

"How do you feel knowing the last face you'll ever see is mine? I'd feel lucky if I were you." Charlie said, gripping her head harder in his hands. Beth futilely tried to get her hands free, but he was just too strong. He then lifted her head off the floor, and before Beth knew what he was doing, he slammed it back down onto the hard wooden floor. Beth's head lolled backwards, and she felt him doing it again. This time, the stars in front of her eyes exploded, and she crashed into unconsciousness.

_Here in my arms_

Max stepped warily into the house. He couldn't hear anything. "Beth? It's Max." he called again. He noted the bit of plaster on the floor, and shut the door to reveal the big hole in the plaster where he realised the door must have been swung backwards with quite a force to do that.

In the kitchen, Michael quickly picked Charlie up off of Beth's prone body and pulled him towards the back door which he opened with the key. "Charlie, come on, now!" Charlie allowed himself to be dragged out the door, round the side of the house and down the street until they were back in the car and headed to Leon's.

_Here in my arms_

Max made his way down the corridor, being as quiet as he could. As he approached the living room, he slowed right down. The door was nearly shut, so he pushed it open. He put his head round the door, seeing nothing. He flicked the light on, and the only thing that registered was that the house was tidier than it had been the day before. A burglar wouldn't leave the house tidier than he had found it surely? He walked through the living room to the doorway that led to the kitchen. He could smell food, it smelled like Chinese. The door was shut, so he quietly turned the handle and opened the door slowly. It wasn't until he stepped into the room that he saw Beth lying on the floor by the back door, a pool of blood spreading beneath her head. The cut on her cheek had reopened, adding to the blood, and he could already see the beginnings of bruises on her arms. Her pale pink top was covered in blood on one side, making it stick to the floor. Her hair was all matted around her head where the blood had congealed. He rushed over to her, checking for breathing, for a pulse, anything to indicate that she was still alive. As he grasped her wrist, he felt a small pulsing of blood beneath his fingers.

"Oh thank god." he let go of her wrist, pulling out his phone. "Yeah, I need an ambulance right away. 22 year old female, badly assaulted. There's a big pool of blood under her head, and she's unconscious. She's breathing but has a weak pulse. Please hurry." Max gave the operator the address then hung up, dialling the station next. "Gov, it's Max. I'm at Beth's, she's been assaulted. There's a big pool of blood under her head, and she has bruises on her upper body. She's unconscious and barely breathing, her pulse is weak. I've called an ambulance. It doesn't look good." Max said methodically, treating this like any other victim, not one he knew, one he worked with, one who he had feelings for.

"Oh no! Right, go to the hospital with her, stay with her, do not leave her. I'll update the Super and the Inspector. I'll meet you down there once I'm done." Neil said quickly, hanging up.

Max didn't know what to do, what to say to her. This was all his fault. If he was here on time, if he had been doing his job properly and watching over her, not the TV, she wouldn't be in this mess. It was too late now though.

"Beth, Beth? Can you hear me? It's Max. I'm here now. You need to wake up, ok, need to come back and tell me who did this. I'm so sorry Beth, I shouldn't have left you. Please wake up." Max begged, taking Beth's slender hand in his. There was no response, not even a flicker. There was sudden banging at the door.

"Hello? Paramedics!" a female voice shouted.

"Yeah, in the kitchen, quickly!" Max shouted back.

Two paramedics ran in, a female with short blonde hair and a man who was balding.

"Alright my darling, I'm Dixie and this is Jeff. What's your name?" Dixie asked, leaning down next to Beth.

"I'm DS Max Carter, this is PC Beth Green." Max replied, letting go of Beth's hand and standing back.

"Do you know what happened her mate?" Jeff asked, looking up at Max from where he was putting a oxygen mask over Beth's face.

"She was assaulted, I don't know who by though." Max said, watching them work. The woman named Dixie placed a pressure pad on the cut on Beth's cheek, and then turned to Max.

"Alright Max, can you help us roll her please so that I can apply this pad to the back of her head?" Dixie asked.

"Yeah, yeah sure." Max said. He felt like he was in a dream. No, not a dream, a nightmare. He bent down and put one hand under Beth's thigh like Jeff told him. After three he helped Jeff to roll her over while Dixie applied another pressure dressing to the hole in the back of Beth's head, and then placed bandages tightly around it to stop it moving.

"Ok, roll her back after three...one, two three and roll." Jeff said, gently returning Beth to the position on her back. "Dix, go and grab the stretcher, we need to get her in as soon as. Alright princess, if you can hear me, we're going to get you to hospital as soon as ok."

"Can I come with you? To the hospital I mean." Max asked, unable to take his eyes off Beth's chalky white face.

"Of course you can mate. Is she your girlfriend?" Jeff asked.

"No, no, just a friend." Max replied quietly. "Is she going to be ok?"

Jeff pulled a face, "We really can't say, you'll have to ask the doctors when we get to the hospital."

"Oh ok, we'll just do everything you can." Max asked quietly.

"We always do." Jeff replied, helping place Beth onto the stretcher that Dixie had just brought in.

"Right sweetheart, let's get you in the ambulance and to hospital." Dixie said, he and Jeff lifting Beth out of her flat and into the ambulance, Max climbing in after them.

_Here in my arms_

_**Song- Snow Patrol: In My Arms**_


	8. Air That I Breathe

**Thank you so much to my fabulous reviewers, Hollie, Jo, Meg, Aileen, Krissie and littlebit100. You are wonderful, did you know? Enjoy :D**

_Shut your eyes and think of somewhere  
Somewhere cold and caked in snow  
By the fire we break the quiet  
Learn to wear each other well_

It was the next morning, June the 5th. Beth had been placed on the ICU due to her injuries, and Max had stayed with her the whole night. She had a thick white bandage wrapped around her head, and the doctors had to intubate her to help her breathe better. The doctors had performed scans on Beth's brain and they had discovered that there was swelling in the area where her head had repeatedly been bashed against the ground. They told Max that it was too early to tell if there was any lasting damage. This only increased Max's guilt. He should have been there, he could have stopped this happening.

_And when the worrying starts to hurt  
and the world feels like graves of dirt  
Just close your eyes until  
you can imagine this place, yeah, our secret space at will_

The doctor walked into the room, checking the machines surrounding Beth and her chart.

"Morning, I'm Mr Cullen. Are you family?" the doctor asked, he had a Scottish accent.

"Uh, no I'm not." Max replied, rubbing his eyes.

"Have you been here all night?" the doctor asked, checking Beth over.

"Yep, I didn't want to leave her." Max said. He didn't want to leave her because he felt guilty, he couldn't really leave her when it was his fault that she ended up in there.

"Well maybe you better go and get a coffee, or even go home and get some sleep. She won't be able to talk for a while yet." the doctor said gently, standing next to Max. Max could see the pity in his eyes, so he turned away.

"Will the tube be coming out today?" he asked, before he left the ICU.

The doctor thought for a moment, before saying, "We hope so yes. She seems to be getting slightly stronger, so hopefully we'll be able to extubate her a bit later. But I must warn you, if she wakes up she might not be the same as she was before."

"What do you mean by that?" Max asked quietly, walking out the doors of the ICU.

"I mean she may have suffered memory loss. She suffered some severe blows to the head, and her brain has swelled up. We had to drill a small hole in her skull to release some of this pressure, but we don't know if the swelling had any lasting effects on her, and we won't know until we wake up. She may not remember who she is, who you are, how to walk, how to talk. It's possible she'll have to relearn everything from scratch." the doctor said, handing Max a cup of the crappy hospital coffee.

Max slumped onto a seat, his head in his hands, "Thank you doctor." He felt a hand on his shoulder, and then the doctor was gone.

_Shut your eyes, I spin the big chair  
And you'll feel dizzy, light, and free  
And falling gently on the cushion  
You can come and sing to me_

Jess and Sally had been called into the station that morning, and they had no clue why.

"What do you think this is about?" Jess asked as they walked down the corridor and then up the stairs to CID.

"I have no clue, all I know is that they're interrupting my lie in." Sally said, following Jess into the CID briefing room.

The Inspector turned as she heard them entering. Her face was drawn and anxious, they hadn't seen her looking like this for a long time. "Sit down you two. We're just waiting for the DI and then we'll start."

Jess and Sally exchanged looks, before Jess said, "Ma'am, is everything ok?"

"The DI will tell you in a minute." Gina repeated, looking distracted.

The DI finally made his way into the room. "Thank you for coming everyone. Now, as you may or may not know, PC Beth Green was badly assaulted last night. She is in the ICU at Holby now, and she's had surgery and been intubated. Max has just called with an update and told us that the surgery was to release swelling on the brain, and he also said they should be taking out the tube later and seeing if she can breathe on her own."

Jess and Sally sat there shocked; this was the first they had heard of what happened.

"Ma'am, we need to go and see her. I'm sorry, but we can't sit here when we know that she's seriously ill." Sally said, getting her bag and pushing her chair back ready to go.

"But we need you both here to get her attackers." Gina said weakly, not really caring if they didn't stay at the station.

"Please ma'am, she's our best friend, we have to see her. We'll be back later." Jess said, following Sally as she ran down the stairs and to Jess' car outside.

"Oh my god, why didn't anyone ring us yesterday?" Jess asked as she pulled out of the station.

"I don't know. But jesus, she had to have surgery, they drilled a hole in her skull!" Sally said, her face contorted with worry.

"I know, I know. At least Max is there with her. That's something I guess." Jess said, driving as quickly as was allowed to the hospital.

"Yeah, but she needs us there as well. She needs her friends." Sally said quietly.

_And when the worrying starts to hurt  
and the world feels like graves of dirt  
Just close your eyes until  
you can imagine this place, yeah, our secret space at will_

Sally and Jess made their way quickly to the reception desk.

"Hi, could you tell us what ward Beth Green is on please?" Jess asked, leaning against the counter.

"She's in the ICU unit which is around the corner, but I'm afraid visiting hours aren't until 2 o'clock this afternoon." the receptionist said.

"We're police officers." Sally said, flashing her badge at the woman.

"Ah ok, well just go straight through the waiting room, turn left and then follow the signs." the woman smiled at them, pointing them in the right direction.

"Thank you." Sally smiled curtly at the woman before dragging Jess down the corridor.

"God you're quick, I wouldn't have thought of saying we were police officers." Jess said with a laugh.

"Honey, you either got it or you don't." Sally said, putting on a funny voice. They slowly approached the ICU desk, and asked for a doctor to show them to Beth's room.

"Hello there, I'm Mr Cullen, how can I help?" the doctor asked.

"We're police officers," Sally said, showing her badge to the doctor, "Could you show us to where Beth Green's room is please?"

"Of course, but she's in no state to be interviewed. She's still unconscious." the doctor said, leading them to her room. "There's a man in there at the moment, do you want me to ask him to leave?"

Jess and Sally looked into Beth's room and saw Max leaning backwards in a chair, holding Beth's hand and just staring at her face. "No, don't ask him to leave, it's fine. How long as he been here?" Jess asked, turning away from the room.

"Ever since she was brought in. We suggested to him to leave, but he said no. Then he said he was a police officer, so we let him stay. Is that right?" the doctor asked them.

"Yeah, his name is DS Carter, and Beth is a cop as well. She's our best friend." Sally said, looking from Beth to the doctor.

"How is she? Honestly please, we don't want any crap." Jess said, folding her arms over.

"It's hard to say, but we think she's going to make a full recovery. We took her for more brain scans not long before you showed up, and the operation to reduce the swelling was successful. Also her vitals are looking a lot healthier, and we're hoping to extubate her later, which is when when take the tube which is putting oxygen into her lungs out so she can breathe on her own. First we need to wait for her to regain conciousness though, and we don't think that'll take long." the doctor said, looking at the two blonde women in front of him.

"So she's going to be ok then?" Jess asked.

"Well there might be some memory loss, but we're not sure if there is how much there will be. She might not remember what happened yesterday, or she might not remember how to walk and talk." the doctor said.

"What? Are you serious?" Sally asked, her mouth open.

"I'm afraid so. I've seen cases like this before where the patient had to learn everything from scratch." the doctor said sadly.

"Well it won't happen to Beth. She's strong, she'll come through." Jess said determinedly.

"And if she's not?" Sally asked, looking at Jess.

"Well she can learn everything with Lexi can't she." Jess said, a feebly attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"Yeah, but it won't come to that." Sally replied, determined to be as positive as Jess.

_Shut your eyes_

_Shut your eyes_

"Beth, if you can hear me, I want to tell you how sorry I am. I should have been there, I shouldn't have let this happen. I hope that when you wake up you can forgive me. I will get the men who did this to you, I promise." Max said, holding Beth's dainty hand in his rougher one. There was still no reply from her, no indication that she was about to wake up. "Beth please wake up before Jess and Sally come in here, you don't want their wrath do you." Max said with a small laugh. "Come on Beth, for God sake wake up! You can't leave us all can you, it's not fair! You can't leave Jess, Sally, Lexi. You can't leave me." Max said the last bit quietly. It was then that Beth started to cough. Her eyes slowly widened and she took in her surroundings. Her hand flew to her mouth, and felt a tube there and started to panic. She tried to pull it out, Max had to pull her hands off her. "Beth listen, it's Max. You have a tube in your throat, but it's helping you to breathe. Don't pull it out, let me get the doctor."

Max yanked open the door and ran to the desk past a bewildered looking Jess and Sally. They followed him to the desk.

"Mr Cullen? Beth has regained conciousness, she's trying to pull the tube out her throat." Max said quickly.

"She's awake?" Jess asked.

"Seems that way." Max said, following Mr Cullen back down the corridor.

"If you three could just wait out here while I extubate her. Thank you." the doctor said as he walked into Beth's room and shut the door.

"Oh thank god she's ok." Sally said, hugging Jess.

"We don't know yet." Max said from behind them.

"She's going to be fine, you just have to believe it, she's strong." Sally said firmly.

Jess took in Max's creased clothing, his messed up hair, the bag's under his eyes, his pained expression. "You think it's your fault don't you." Jess said.

Max gave a wry smile, "They should promote you to CID."

"Sarge, Max, it's not your fault, and Beth wouldn't like you blaming yourself." Jess said, putting a hand on his arm.

"But you didn't see her. It is my fault. If I was there when I should have been, she would be ok." Max said.

"You have no way of knowing that. Maybe if you were there you would both be in hospital, and no-one would have been able to call an ambulance so it could be a whole lot worse." Sally said kindly.

"You have to stop with the "what if's", it'll drive you mad and won't get you anywhere. Do you mind if we quickly pop in to say hello?" Jess asked, turning back to Beth's room.

"Of course, you're her best friends. She'll want to see you. I'll just go and get a coffee." Max said distractedly, turning from them and walking down the corridor.

"Poor Max." Sally said, watching after him.

"Poor Max." Jess said in agreement.

_Shut your eyes_

_Shut your eyes_

Fifteen minutes later, Jess and Sally were allowed in to see Beth.

"Ten minutes, and try not to excite her." the doctor warned as he walked out.

Jess and Sally slowly edged their way into the room. They weren't sure if Beth would recognise them. "Beth?" Sally asked.

Beth smiled at them, motioning them forward. "Hi. I'm so glad you came!" Beth said. Jess and Sally were startled at how weak she sounded.

"Oh honey, we were so worried!" Jess said, sitting on one side of her while Sally sat on the other. They both took one of her hands.

"Don't do that to us again!" Sally said, with a small smile on her face.

"Sorry, I'll try not to." Beth said, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Before you go to sleep, you should know that Max has been with you ever since you were admitted, and he blames himself for what happened." Jess said softly.

"He has?" Beth asked, looking at Jess. She couldn't believe that Max had stayed with her all that time. "He shouldn't blame himself, no way. It wasn't his fault." Beth said, coughing.

"I know, we told him that but obviously he's not hearing any of it. He'll probably only accept it if you tell him." Sally said.

"Most likely. I know who did it." Beth said suddenly.

"You do?" Jess asked, pulling out her notepad and pen that was in her bag.

"Yeah, I opened the door at eight o'clock cause I thought it was Max. But it was Charlie and Michael." Beth said quickly.

"That's who the DI thought it was." Sally said nodding, "Ok sweetie, we better go, we're only allowed ten minutes, and we should get this info back to the station so we can go and arrest the bastards. You keep well ok, and we'll be back later." Sally quickly hugged Beth and waited at the door for Jess.

"If you're up to it, I'll bring Lexi to see you later. Get well soon, yeah?" Jess said, swooping down to give Beth a quick kiss on the cheek, and then waving as Jess and Sally left the room.

_Shut your eyes and sing to me_

_Shut your eyes and sing to me_

Twenty minutes later Max returned to Beth's room. Before he went in he peeped in to see if she was awake. She was sleeping peacefully, her dark hair stark against her unusually pale skin. He took a deep breath and opened the door quietly, and crept over to the chair next to the bed. He took a seat and just stared at her.

"How bad do I look?" she asked, making him jump.

"Oh uh, you look fine." Max said quickly. Beth smiled.

"You're such a bad liar DS Carter." Beth joked.

"Sorry. I'm glad you're awake, but maybe I should go now." Max said, making to get up, but Beth reached out to him.

"No, please stay." she said quietly.

"Ok." Max replied, sitting back down.

"Jess and Sally told me you've been here since I was admitted. Thank you Max. And thank you for finding me and calling the ambulance. I'd most likely be dead if you hadn't arrived when you did. Oh, and stop blaming yourself, you couldn't have stopped it happening even if you were there." Beth said in a great rush.

Max gave a weak laugh, "And here I was hoping for some memory loss." he said cheekily.

"Now now, we don't want to start WW3 in here do we, we can save that for when I'm home." Beth said with a smile as she closed her eyes. And then she was asleep again, and Max took his place next to her, her hand in his.

_Shut your eyes and sing to me_

_Shut your eyes and sing to me_

_**Song- Snow Patrol: Shut Your Eyes**_


	9. Tag, You're It

**Ok, here it is. Thanks as always to Aileen, Krissie, Hollie, Jo, Meg and littlebit100. Your reviews mean everything to me :D Enjoy!**

_You touch these tired eyes of mine  
And map my face out line by line  
And somehow growing old feels fine_

The next day, Jess and Sally were back in the station reporting on how Beth was. They also told the DI and the Inspector exactly what Beth had told them, about how it was Mike and Charlie who attacked her, and how they got away through the back door. Jess and Sally had just put their uniform on and were walking up to the CID briefing room.

"So, how serious do you think Beth and Max are?" Sally asked casually.

"Well, being the mighty matchmaker and general relationships expert that I am, I think Beth wants it to be more serious than it is but Max won't let it for some unknown reason." Jess said wisely.

"Hmm, I think you could be right. But Beth always wants things straight away doesn't she." Sally said with a laugh.

"Yeah, but that's just what she's like. Right, let's go see if we can arrest those two blokes yet." Jess said as they walked through CID. They took their seats at the table next to Sergeants Smith and Stone and listened as the DI spoke.

"Right everyone, Michael Whitaker and Charlie Smith. These two men are the ones who beat PC Green up and caused her to have to have brain surgery and be intubated. They are two vicious men who we have been trying to arrest on drugs charges, but they've always been too clever to incriminate themselves. That was where PC Green came in. She was sent undercover to try and catch them out, but they realised they had a grass and beat Jay Marsden up so bad that he felt he had no choice but to give Beth up." Neil said.

"There's always a choice." Jess whispered to Sally. She felt Smithy looking at her and shut up.

"Now, these past few hours CSE have been at Beth's house gathering enough evidence so that when we finally arrest them we can hopefully get it to stick. So, the Inspector is going to put you into two teams, one to go to Michael's flat, and the other to go to Leon's." Neil said, handing over to the Inspector.

"Ma'am, shouldn't be going to Charlie's flat, not Leon's?" Sally asked.

"The three men spend most of their time at Leon's, and then at Michaels. It's highly unlikely they'll be at Charlie's, but we'll have three officers down there anyway. Ok, team 1 will be going to Leon's flat, and that will be Sergeant Smith, PC Brown, PC Gayle and PC Valentine. Team 2 will be going to Michael's, and that will be PC Roberts, PC Taylor, PC Stamp and myself. Sergeant Stone, I would like you, PC Stone and PC Armstrong to go to Charlie's, just in case they are there. Ok, everyone out to the vans please!" the Inspector shouted over the sudden din that filled the room. Everyone trooped out in their teams.

"Oh lucky you, getting stuck with me." Jess said with a smile at Callum.

"I don't know if lucky is the word." Callum teased, holding the door open for her and Sally.

Jess mock slapped him, "Don't be so horrible! Come on Sally, let's wait at the car for him." Jess said, waving as she walked down the corridor with Sally.

"Women." Callum sighed as he walked into his office.

_I listen close for I'm not smart  
You wrap your thoughts in works of art  
And they're hanging on the walls of my heart _

Smithy's team were to go to first. PC Valentine bought up the big red enforcer, and after Smithy's nod he swung it as hard as he could at the door. The sound of the lock shattering announced that the door was now open, and Smithy shouted police as they all ran into the flat with their batons out.

"Clear!" Milly called from the front room.

"Bedroom's clear!" Ben called.

"Kitchen's clear sarge." Roger said, walking into the hall to where Smithy was standing.

"Ok, thanks you three. Just double check round again, see if there's anything incriminating here." Smithy said, pulling out his radio. "Sierra oscar 1 from 54?"

"Go ahead 54." Gina said into her radio.

"Ma'am, there's no-one here. We're double checking to see if there's anything incriminating, but there definitely isn't anyone here." Smithy said.

"Ok, thanks Smithy. We'll go ahead now. Over." Gina said, signalling at Tony to use the enforcer on the door. This door was a lot harder to open than Leon's, and it took three hard swings until it finally came off the hinges with an almighty crash.

"POLICE!" Nate shouted as they ran into the flat. But like with Leon's, no-one was home.

The Inspector sighed, surely they weren't at Charlie's?

_I may not have the softest touch  
I may not say the words as such  
And though I may not look like much  
I'm yours _

Outside Charlie's flat, Callum was giving orders to Sally and Jess.

"Right, I'll go in first, and if you come face to face with either of the suspects, protect yourselves ok. Shout straight away and the others will come to assist." Callum said seriously, looking intently at Jess, knowing what she was like.

"Sarge." Sally and Jess said together.

"Right then, let's open up." Callum said, thrusting the enforcer at the door as hard as he could. The door crashed open, hitting the wall behind it hard.

"POLICE!" Sally shouted, running into the kitchen. Jess ran past her to the living room door which was shut. She took a step back and kicked the door in until it finally opened. In the living room was Michael attempting to get out the open window at the front of the flat. Jess ran over and pulled as hard as she could, trying to get him back into the living room.

"Get in here! CALLUM, SALLY!" she shouted as loudly as she could. Michael heard her shouting for back up and tried even harder to get free. He kicked out behind him, colliding with Jess's stomach. "Right, that's it." she said, gritting her teeth. She pulled him as hard as she could, and he tumbled back into the living room, knocking Jess over as he went. She was quickly on her feet when Callum and Sally ran in. "Nice of you to join me." she said sarcastically, helping Sally roll him onto his back so that they could cuff him.

"You're welcome." Callum said with a smile, "Michael Whitaker, I'm arresting you on suspicion of grievous bodily harm of a police officer. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?" Callum roughly grabbed the Michael's handcuffed arms and dragged him upwards and pushed him out the flat.

"This is against my rights!" he was shouting as they led him down to their squad car.

"Callum, I think Charlie and Leon managed to escape before him, they have to be around here somewhere." Jess said.

"They'll be long gone by now." Callum said, pushing Michael's head down as they placed him in the squad car.

"Ok, I'll call this in. Sierra oscar 134 to sierra oscar 1?" Jess said into her radio.

"Go ahead PC Stone." Gina replied.

"We've caught Michael Whitaker, but we think that Leon and Charlie made their escape through the front window while we were in the flat." Jess said, getting into the back seat next to Michael.

"Ok, well bring him in. One is better than none. Over." Gina said, calling off.

_And though my edges may be rough  
And never feel I'm quite enough  
It may not seem like very much  
But I'm yours _

As they were driving out of the estate back to the station, Sally spotted two familiar figures.

"Sarge stop! That looks like Leon and Charlie to me." Sally said, looking closely.

"Yeah it is, you're right. Callum, drive round and try and cut them off, me and Sally will give chase." Jess said, not listening to Callum as both her and Sally dashed out of the car and towards the two men. As Leon and Charlie spotted the women, they made a run for it.

"Jess, where they're heading is a dead end, we can get them there. Call it in to Callum." Sally shouted as they ran.

"Sarge, they're heading to St John's close, it's a dead end. We should be able to get them there, over." Jess said quickly into her radio. They could see Charlie and Leon ahead of them, and they were nearing the dead end.

"I vote we just keep running until we hit them." Sally said with a smile.

"I second that." Jess said, laughing.

"STOP!" Sally shouted at the two men.

The men started to realise that they had just trapped themselves. But by the time they had decided what to do, Jess and Sally ploughed into them and they fell on the floor in a heap. They both expertly flipped the two men over and Sally cuffed Charlie.

"Charlie Smith, you are arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm of a police officer. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?" Sally asked, sitting on Charlie's back until Callum could get there.

"Get off me! What the hell are you doing?" he protested, trying to wriggle free.

"Leon, I'd like you to come down to the station to answer a few questions for us please." Jess asked, getting off the floor next to Leon and leading him away from where Sally and Charlie were.

"Why?" Leon asked.

"You'll be told more when we get down to the station." Jess said. "Sierra oscar 134 to 54?"

"Go ahead Jess." Smithy said.

"Can we have two more cars down here? I've got Leon Jones, he's willing to come to the station to answer some questions, and Sally's cuffed Charlie Smith." Jess said, checking Sally was ok with Charlie.

"You got him? Good work, two cars will be there in a minute over." Smithy said.

Callum turned up in the squad car a minute later. Jess walked over to him and leaned in the window.

"We got them both. Leon is going to come to the station to answer some questions. Smithy has sent two more cars for us, so you can go now." Jess said with a smile.

"Oh so now Smithy is coming you don't want me anymore?" Callum said with mock sadness.

"Correct. Sorry honey. See you later." Jess said, smiling at him as she walked away with Leon.

_You healed these scars over time  
Embraced my soul  
You loved my mind  
You're the only angel in my life_

At the hospital later that afternoon, Beth was pleased to learn that Charlie and Michael had been arrested for her assault.

"They're gonna get off." she said to Max.

"What? No they won't, there's too much evidence to place them at the scene. They can't get away with it." Max said determinedly.

Beth gave a weak laugh, "Leon will provide them with an alibi, and they're too smart to get caught."

"Don't be so pessimistic!" Max chided.

"Says you!" Beth retaliated.

"I thought you said something yesterday about not starting WW3?" Max said.

"Well yes, but that was yesterday." she said with a smile, trying to sit herself up. Max immediately got up and helped her sit forward while he arranged her pillows for her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." he said, settling back down in the chair. "Listen, I've been thinking..."

"You shouldn't do that, you'll give yourself a headache." Beth interrupted cheekily.

"Shush, I'm being serious here. When you get out of here, the doctors said you're going to need some help, it'll be hard for you at first. Now obviously you can say no if you want to, I won't be offended, and maybe you would prefer Jess or Sally helping, but you know it's up to you..." Max said, starting to babble which was highly uncharacteristic of him.

"Max, just spit it out please." Beth said, a small smile at her lips.

"Well, how would you feel about me helping you, like cooking for you and cleaning the house and generally helping you get back on your feet?" Max asked her, starting intently at her.

Beth thought about it for a few minutes, and Max thought she wasn't going to answer when she finally said, "I've got a guest room, you can sleep in there if you like. It might be easier than traipsing from your flat to my house over and over."

"Beth, my flat is only across the road." Max said with a laugh.

"I know, it's only an idea, don't worry about it." Beth said quickly.

"No, no, that would be more useful than having to keep coming and going. But only if you're comfortable with that." Max said seriously.

Beth reached out a hand to him which he took. "Max, I'm very comfortable with that, as long as you can cook, do the washing, ironing and generally cater to my every need."

"I think I can do that." Max said with a nod.

"Oh Max, you don't know what you've just set yourself up for!" Beth said with a smile.

Max didn't care, he was just glad she was awake and teasing him again.

_The day news came my best friend died  
My knees went weak and you saw me cry  
Say I'm still the soldier in your eyes _

Over a month later, Max had all but moved in permanently to Beth's house. As promised, he had catered to Beth's every need when she first came out of hospital; she wouldn't have been able to do anything without him. He cooked for her, he cleaned her house, he washed and ironed her clothes, took her out shopping, and eventually they became a couple. Max didn't know if it was the thought that he had nearly lost her that encouraged him to go for it, or if it was the fact that being with her was so easy, it allowed him to be himself. But whatever encouraged the change of heart, Beth didn't care, she only cared that they were together now. They were laying in bed one morning, Max with his arms round Beth, and they were discussing whether to tell everyone about them.

"Can I at least tell Sally and Jess? They're my best friends!" Beth whined.

"Oh god, don't whine! I know that most of the time when you whine I cave in, but not with this. I don't think anyone should know, not until we've been at this a bit longer." Max said.

"Been at this?! We're in a relationship Max, we're a couple! We've already been together for just over a month! How much longer am I to wait before I can tell people?" Beth asked, craning her neck to look up at Max. He was staring at the ceiling.

"Look, people might think we're together because you want a promotion, and they might be iffy about the age difference. All I wanted to do after you were beaten up was to protect you, and that's what I'm doing by not letting you tell people." Max replied.

"No-one would think I was with you for a promotion, although that is a good idea, I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier." Beth said laughing.

"Oh so you think that's funny do you?" Max asked, leaning down so he could grab a pillow which was on the floor.

"Oh come on Max, lighten up!" Beth said, kissing his shoulder.

"Fine, if that's what you want." Max said in a sulky tone before proceeding to hit her on the leg with a pillow.

Let's just say by the time they were done there were feathers covering the whole room.

_I may not have the softest touch  
I may not say the words as such  
And though I may not look like much  
I'm yours _

_**Song- The Script: I'm Yours**_


	10. Catch Me When I Fall

**Here we go again, another nice new chapter for you. Thank you x1000000000 to my fab reviewers: Hollie, Aileen, Krissie, Jo, Meg and littlebit100. Enjoy!**

Over the next two weeks, CID and uniform did everything they could to get a conviction for Beth. But, as Beth had predicted, Leon gave the two men an alibi, claiming that they had been with him all night. Beth had to admit they were good. A hearing had been arranged for the 31st August, and Beth was determined to go, to hopefully see them send down for a long time. A week before the trail, Beth had just woken up. She rolled over and smiled as she saw Max's sleeping face. Even now, she couldn't believe how lucky she was waking up with him next to her every day. She really didn't care about the age difference, it was just Max who was bothered about it.

"Stop staring at me." Max said suddenly, making Beth jump. She giggled, biting her lip.

"I'm not." Beth said, "How did you know I was if you're eyes were shut?"

"I'm a detective remember." Max replied sleepily.

"As if that explains it." Beth said, pushing herself up so she was leaning against her pillows.

"Well of course it does. I'm a detective because I'm good at detecting, obviously, and thinking out the box." Max said, propping himself up on one elbow.

"I'll say...some of the things we've done are pretty outside of the box." Beth said with a knowing smile.

Max flipped onto his back, looking up at her in her silky nightgown. "I thought we agreed not to mention those things again?" Max asked in a sharp voice, but he gave himself away with the small smile that was playing around his mouth. Beth slid down the bed until her face was level with his.

"I know, but I can't help it." she kissed him gently on the lips. Max wrapped his arms round her, just laying there holding her for a few minutes.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked her.

"I don't know, you do breakfast." Beth said looking at him.

"Well that was when you first came out of hospital." Max replied simply.

"Oh so now that I'm better I have to cook? How sexist!" Beth protested, wriggling free from Max's arm.

"What can I say, I'm old-fashioned." he said with a smile.

Beth just huffed at him, got out of bed and slipped her dressing gown on. "I want to come in with you today. I want to see the Inspector and see if I can come back to work."

Max raised his eyebrows, "Really? You think you're ready for that?"

Beth smiled fondly at him, he was so overprotective, "Max, stop wrapping me up in cotton wool. I'm ok now."

Max looked sceptical, but then shrugged, "Fine, if you're sure. I'll only drive you in though if you cook me breakfast."

"Ah, bargaining now are we?" Beth said before pausing, "Well, seeing as I can't be bothered to walk, you're in luck."

_It's not so easy loving me  
It gets so complicated  
All the things you gotta be  
Everything's changing  
But you're the truth  
I'm amazed by all your patience  
Everything I put you through_

An hour later, Max and Beth arrived at the station. Beth walked in first, as Max still was iffy about people knowing about them. So he dropped her off at the corner then he drove in and parked up.

"But Max, we live opposite each other technically, can't you just say that you're dropping me off?" Beth had asked before she got out the car.

Max looked at her and then said, "Yeah, that's a good reason actually."

Beth rolled her eyes, "So much for you being a good detective!"

She made her way through the station, greeting everyone and thanking them for the various cards and flowers they had sent her at the hospital and at home. She walked down the corridor until she was outside the Inspector's office. She knocked twice and was beckoned in.

"Beth! What are you doing here?" the Inspector asked in surprise, unexpectedly hugging the young PC.

"Working hopefully." Beth said with a smile as she sat down opposite Gina's desk.

"Working?" Gina questioned.

"Ma'am, I'm bored out of my head being at home, I'd rather be here working and getting back to normal." Beth said, pleading.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" Gina asked her.

"That's exactly what Ma...I mean DS Carter said. But yes ma'am, I feel ready. Please let me come back?" Beth begged.

Gina thought about it for a while, before saying, "Yes alright. We're a bit short staffed, even with the new PC."

Beth was shocked, "What new PC?"

"Her name is PC Keane. She's a probationer, she's a year or two older than you." Gina said.

"Wow, I miss everything! Right, I'll go and get my uniform on. Shall I go see one of the sergeants for something to do?" Beth asked standing up.

"Yes please. Sergeant Smith should be in his office." Gina said and Beth nodded as she walked out the office. She headed down the corridor to the female changing room.

_When I'm about to fall  
Somehow you're always waiting with  
Your open arms to catch me  
You're gonna save me from myself  
From myself, yes  
You're gonna save me from myself_

"Beth? What are you doing here?" someone said as soon as she walked through the door.

"Working, like you, what else?" Beth said with a laugh as both Jess and Sally came and hugged her. She noticed another women getting changed who she had never seen before.

"So are you back full time now?" Jess asked, stepping back to pull her boots on.

"Yep, I've got to go see Smithy once I'm changed, see what he wants me to do." Beth said, starting to undress.

"Oh, Emma, this is Beth Green, she was the one involved in the undercover operation." Sally said, introducing the two women.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Beth said, smiling at Emma.

"And you." Emma said.

"God we have so much to talk to you about!" Jess said. Beth pulled a face as she noticed the significant look exchanged between Sally and Jess.

"Well why don't we go out for lunch and we can talk. Emma, do you want to come?" Beth asked the new officer.

Emma looked up, smiling to have been addressed and invited out, "Yeah sure, if you don't mind that is."

"No of course we don't." Jess said with a smile. "Right I better get going, I'm on patrol with my lovely husband. I'll see you all later."

"Who is she married to?" Emma asked curiously.

"Sergeant Stone, did you meet him? He's a bit moody looking but he's lovely underneath it all." Sally said with a laugh.

"Oh right. Ah that would make sense, seeing as she is PC Stone." Emma replied.

"Yeah, they've been married nearly two years now. Right are you ready Emma? We're on patrol as well, so catch you later Beth." Sally said, giving her another quick hug before she left with Emma, who smiled.

"Bye!" she called after them, and then made her own way out the changing room and down the hall to Smithy's office.

_My love is tainted by your touch  
Well some guys have shown me aces  
But you've got that royal flush  
I know it's crazy everyday  
Well tomorrow may be shaky  
But you never turn away_

At lunch Beth met the girls at a cafe which was often frequented by the Sun Hill coppers. Jess was the first one there, and she waved as Beth came in.

"Hi, I ordered coffee's all round, that alright?" Jess asked as Beth sat next to her.

"Yeah that's fine. Smithy put me on paperwork all morning." Beth said with a sigh.

"Really? Well they probably want to ease you back into work. That's what they did with me when I was pregnant, I bloody hated it though." Jess said, remembering how bored she would get.

"I guess so. But I wish people would just accept that I'm fine now and they don't need to treat me like I'm breakable!" Beth said in a more angry voice than she felt. Jess' brow furrowed.

"Beth you had a real serious beating. We all thought you were going to die, so be easy on them ok?" Jess said softly.

Beth sighed and she smiled, "Yeah, sorry."

"That's alright. Now can we order? I'm starving!" Jess said, plucking the menu from it's holder.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sally and Emma?" Beth asked.

"Nah, Sally said to go ahead, they'll be here in a minute." Jess said, handing the menu to Beth.

"So what do you think of the new PC? When did she start?" Beth asked.

"Um, she started a few days ago. So far she seems really nice. A bit stuck up sometimes, but I'm sure we can bash that out of her." Jess said, looking up as Sally and Emma walked in.

"Speak of the devil." Beth said with a laugh.

"Alright. Have you ordered?" Sally said, sitting down opposite Jess, while Emma took the seat opposite Beth.

"Just about to. Good morning?" Beth asked them.

"Yeah, arrested some youth's for indecent exposure, that was nice." Emma said with a disgusted look on her face. Beth and Jess both wrinkled their noses.

"Nice, lucky you." Jess said.

"So, Beth, the reason we asked you for lunch, we have questions." Sally said, smiling at Beth.

"Ok, what questions?" Beth asked warily.

"You and Max." Jess said simply.

Beth's guard immediately came up, "What about it?"

"Well are you seeing each other?" Sally asked impatiently.

Beth made a face, "He'll kill me if I tell you!"

"But we're your best friends! We tell you everything!" Jess moaned.

"I told him that, but he wouldn't budge. He said that people might think we're together cause I want a promotion, or they might be grossed out by the age difference." Beth said, her head in her hands.

"Surely people would have said that about you and Callum when you first got together?" Sally asked Jess.

"Yeah exactly, but once they got over it, it was fine. And there's 5 years between us two." Jess said.

"There's more than that between me and Max though." Beth said.

"If you like him and he likes you, then who cares what everyone else thinks." Emma said, making all three women look around at her. "Oh sorry, was I not meant to be listening."

"No, no, of course. I said this to him as well, but he won't listen." Beth said sadly.

"Well make him listen! Relationships are supposed to be equal you know, no matter what his rank is over you." Emma said simply.

"I like you already." Beth said with a laugh.

_Don't ask me why I'm crying  
'Cause when I start to crumble  
You know how to keep me smiling  
You always save me from myself  
From myself, myself  
You're gonna save me from myself_

A week later, Beth and Max had finally agreed that if people found out about them at work, they wouldn't deny it. Beth had told him that Jess, Sally and Emma knew, and even though he threw a bit of a fit for five minutes, Beth finally calmed him down enough, although later Max accused her of seducing him. And then it was the day of the trial, the day that hopefully Charlie and Michael would be sent to jail for a long time. Beth dressed in a simple grey dress and put on some black heels. She tied her hair up, trying to look as professional as possible. She put minimal make up on, and then she was done. She came out the bathroom and was startled when she nearly walked into Max who was leaning against the wall in the hall.

"What were you doing in there?" he asked her.

"Beautifying myself." Beth replied, walking into her room to grab a light jacket and her bag.

"You already look beautiful." Max said, kissing her.

Beth blushed. She was still not used to him paying her compliments. "Thank you, but I needed to do it for confidence as well. Do I look professional enough?"

"Yes you do, perfect. And you can still see the faint bruise marks on your arm as well which the jury will hopefully see." Max said, trying to be helpful.

"Oh brilliant, why don't I show them all the bruises on my ribs as well, and the back of my head where I have a bald patch from having to have surgery." Beth said, exasperated.

"Beth, the bald patch isn't even noticeable anymore! The rest of your hair covers it and it's growing back anyway." Max said.

"See if I had said that to Sally or Jess, they would have said, "Oh but Beth, you aren't bald, don't be silly."" Beth said pointedly.

"Sorry. Now come on, stop being all stressed. They will get sent down, we've got more than enough evidence." Max said, sitting Beth down on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know Max, I have a bad feeling that they'll be let out." Beth said, pushing her fringe back.

"They won't. Now, let's go, we'll be late otherwise." Max led Beth down the stairs and out the door, into the car and to the Courthouse.

_I know it's hard, it's hard  
But you've broken all my walls  
You've been my strength, so strong  
And don't ask me why I love you_

Three hours later, Beth was stood outside the Courthouse encased in Max's arms.

"It's ok, I won't let them touch you again." Max murmured into her ear.

"Max, they know where I live, what if they try and off me again?" she asked, her tear streaked face breaking his heart.

"Beth, I swear, they won't get to you. We can move if you want." Max said softly.

Beth's sobs just got louder, and she pressed her face into his chest. He stroked her hair, knowing that nothing he said at this minute would help her in anyway. He just couldn't believe that the judge had let them off. What an asshole! Apparently the masses of evidence everyone had worked hard to collect wasn't enough, and Leon's statement which provided Michael and Charlie with alibis was taken over a police officers. It made Max sick that they were free to try and kill someone again without so much as a slapped wrist.

"Come on, let's get you home." Max said gently, leading Beth to the car. He was just about to get in when he was stopped by the DI.

"Max!" he shouted.

"Yes gov?" Max asked.

"How is she doing?" Neil asked.

"What do you think?" Max replied, a bit more harsher than he had meant.

"Of course. Just take care of her." Neil said, with a small smile as he walked back to where the Inspector was stood.

_It's obvious your tenderness  
Is what I need to make me  
A better woman to myself  
To myself, myself  
You're gonna save me from myself_

When they got in the house Beth immediately started checking that all the windows and doors were locked. She shut all the curtains, and walked to where she kept all her alcohol.

"Beth what are you doing?" Max asked, watching as she grabbed a bottle of vodka and poured it into a large glass.

"Forgetting." she replied quietly.

"That won't make you forget in the long run, you know that!" Max said, not liking this change of character.

"I don't care, I just want to forget for now." Beth said, finishing her first glass of vodka and pouring another.

Max attempted to take the bottle away from her, but she pushed him away. "Come on Beth, don't do this."

"Max, are you forgetting that there are three men out there who want me dead for snitching on them? Cause I can't forget that. I'm going to put the house for sale, I'm moving." she said coldly, and Max noted that she said I and not we.

"Why don't you move in with me, into my house." Max suggested.

Beth looked up, her big blue eyes ringed with red from all her crying. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I can give the flat back, and you can use the money from the sale of the house for whatever." Max said, hoping that he was finally getting through to you. It took a few minutes, but Beth finally nodded.

"Yes please." she said quietly.

"Come here." he said, pulling her to him, just holding her while she cried.

_**Song- Christina Aquilera: Save Me From Myself**_


	11. A Surprise Gift

**And the next chapter is done. Thanks to all my fab reviewers, the usual suspects, Hollie, Jo, Meg, Aileen, Krissie and littlebit100**

_Every time I close my eyes  
It's you and I know now  
Who I am_

_There's a place I go  
When I'm alone  
Do anything I want  
Be anyone I wanna be  
But it is us I see  
And I cannot believe I'm fallin  
That's where I'm goin  
Where are you goin  
Hold it close won't let this go_

Summer made way for autumn, and slowly autumn changed into winter. It was the end of November, and Beth couldn't believe that her and Max had been dating for nearly 5 months now. Neither of them could believe how quickly the time had flown by. Beth was back at work full time, and she was eventually allowed to go back out on patrol and actually do her job properly rather than just doing paperwork. As she had said to Max, Beth had sold her house, too scared to stay there in case Charlie came back for her. It was at the end of September when she moved into Max's house with him. It was strange at first, as he had to make room for all of her stuff, but after a few weeks if felt like she'd always be there, and Max knew that he wanted it to continue on like this. Luckily for them, not many people knew about them as a couple, and that was the way it was staying for now. For a bunch of police officers, Beth's friends were oblivious to what was going on right in front of their noses.

_Dream catch me, yea  
Dream catch me when I fall  
Or else I won't come back at all_

It was the 25th November, and Beth was huddled up in bed. The flooring in the bedroom was wooden, and first thing on a cold morning the floor was absolutely freezing. She had taken to wearing thick socks in bed now so that when she got up she wouldn't get frostbite from walking on the floor. Max had gone to get her a coffee, and he walked back in and put her coffee on the table beside the bed.

"There you go, one coffee." Max said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her drinking his own coffee.

"Well haven't I got you trained well." she said with a smile, sitting up in bed and reaching over for her drink.

"Maybe, but perhaps I'm just in a really good mood today and thought I would show it by getting my beautiful girlfriend a drink in bed." Max said, kissing her on the lips.

"Perhaps you're in such a good mood that you could get said beautiful girlfriend breakfast in bed as well?" Beth asked hopefully.

Max laughed before saying, "I'm afraid not. I've got to get into work soon. We've got a sexual assault case on at the minute."

"Nice. It's a shame you won't be able to make it to Lexi's party." Beth said, sipping her drink.

"A bunch of small children in pink fairy dresses doesn't really appeal to me." Max said, a shudder going through him.

Beth's mouth opened in a large smile, "You're scared of little girls aren't you!"

Max looked at her, "No, I'm not scared of little girls."

Beth let out a loud laugh, "My god, you're scared of a 2 year old! Wait until I tell Lexi how scary Uncle Max thinks she is!"

"Uncle Max?" Max questioned.

"Well yeah. Lexi calls me auntie Beth, so as my boyfriend, you would sort of be uncle Max. Is there a problem with that?" Beth asked.

"No there isn't. Anyway, wish her a happy birthday, and I'll see you tonight. Are you going over there once you're ready?" Max asked.

"Yep, I promised Jess I'd help her set up. Sally will be there as well." Beth said, stretching before getting out of bed.

"Oh god, I'm really glad I'm not going to be there now. When you three are together, there's bound to be trouble." Max said with a laugh.

"Come on Max, it's a 2 year old's birthday party, how much trouble are we going to be able to get in?" Beth said rolling her eyes.

"Are Will and Nate going to be there as well?" Max asked.

Beth paused before answering, "Well yes but..."

"Point proven. I feel sorry for Lexi now. Anyway, I'll see you later. Have fun." Max wrapped his arms round Beth's waist and pulled her close to him for a lingering kiss.

"Go already, before you're late!" Beth said, hitting him away, laughing.

"Alright then. I love you!" Max shouted as he walked out the house.

Beth ran over to the window and opened it just as Max shut the front door, "I love you too!" she shouted out the window, Max just laughed as he got in his car and drove off.

_There's a place I go  
When I'm alone  
Do anything I want  
Be anyone I wanna be  
But it is us I see  
And I cannot believe I'm fallin  
That's where I'm goin  
Where are you goin  
Hold it close won't let this go_

At half past ten, Beth was finally ready for the party and to go to Jess'. She had on a white t-shirt with a pale blue jumper on over the top with dark blue skinny jeans and her favourite black heeled boots. She left her long hair loose and put some make up on and she was set to go. She rummaged in the wardrobe looking for Lexi's present and eventually managed to pull it out. She had brought Lexi some fancy dress outfits which she had put in a little trunk. She had bought a nurse, a police officer and a princess fancy dress outfit, and she knew that Sally had bought her a vet, a rock star and a fire fighter fancy dress outfit to go in the trunk as well. Beth laughed at how spoiled Lexi was, with everyone at the station doting on her, but Lexi was the sweetest child she had met, and she was so beautiful. Beth briefly imagined what a child with her and Max as the parents would look like. She imagined a little boy with her big blue eyes, but Max's soft brown hair. He would be tall like his dad, but mischievous like his mum. Beth and Max had briefly spoken about children, and they both agreed that now was not the best time to bring a child into the world, whether they wanted it or not.

_Dream catch me, yea  
Dream catch me when I fall  
Or else I won't come back at all_

Beth had just rung the doorbell of Jess and Callum's house. She could hear a lot of laughter coming from inside. Finally the door was opened by Jess who couldn't speak for laughing. She beckoned for Beth to follow her in, so Beth shut the door and placed her present in the hall for now. She followed Jess into the living room and burst out laughing when she saw the state of Callum. In the living room, Sally and Jess were sat on the sofa and Callum was sat on the floor. Lexi was standing in front of Callum in her purple party dress, and as she turned round to see who had just arrived, she offered Beth a glimpse to Callum's face. He had pink glitter all over his face, and long lines of what must be bright pink lipstick. Lexi's face lit up when she saw who it was, and she ran over to Beth and held up her arms.

"Auntie Beth!" she squealed as Beth tickled her.

"Hey there Lexi. Is it someone's birthday today?" Beth asked, sitting down next to Sally with Lexi on her lap.

"Mine!" Lexi said excitedly.

Beth pretended to be shocked, "Is it really? Happy birthday cutie! Your present is in the hall." They all laughed as Lexi scrambled off Beth's lap and ran out into the hall. Beth turned to Callum, trying to hold in her laughter, "Well, don't you look pretty." That set the three of them off laughing again. Jess bent down and picked up a pack of baby wipes.

"Here you go sweetie. Go clean yourself up while your daughter is otherwise engaged." Jess handed him the packet, planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

_See you as a mountain  
A fountain of God  
See you as as a descant soul  
in the setting sun  
You as the sound_

"Well, I can see a career for Lexi as a beautician in the future." Sally said with a smile.

"Definately. Have you give her your present yet?" Beth asked her.

"No, I was waiting for you, I can give it to her now then." Sally said, standing up and reaching into a carrier bag by the door and producing the large present.

"MUMMY!" Lexi shouted from the hall.

"Yes honey?" Jess asked as she got off the sofa and walked into the hall.

"Present." Lexi said pointing at the big package which Beth had bought.

"Shall we take it in the living room so you can open it? And say thank you to auntie Beth." Jess said softly, picking up the present and carrying it into the living room where her daughter had already sped off to. Jess put the present down in front of Lexi, and she immediately began to rip at the paper. She finally got all the layers off and got to the pink trunk with all the clothes in.

"Open it up Lexi." Beth said, sitting next her on the floor. Lexi pulled the lid up and a big smile appeared on her face.

"Police woman!" she said gleefully pulling out the outfit.

"Yep, and a nurse and a princess fairy!" Beth said, pulling each outfit out.

"Oh wow Beth! Thank you so much, she's been on at me to get her a uniform so she can be "Just like mummy and daddy."" Jess said with a laugh, "What do you say Lexi?"

"Thank you!" Lexi said, and she gave Beth a hug and a wet kiss on the cheek.

"Lexi, here's your present from me and uncle Nate." Sally said, handing Lexi the bulky present.

"Thank you auntie Sally." Lexi said politely, running and giving Sally a sloppy kiss as well. Lexi sat down on the floor and immediately began tearing at the wrapping.

"God, she's as bad as you with birthday presents!" Callum said coming back into the room glitter free. He came and sat on the arm of the chair, his arm around her shoulders.

"Well that's because I like opening presents!" Jess said, watching as their daughter excitedly pulled out the other fancy dress outfits.

"Wow Lexi, aren't you a lucky girl!" Callum said, looking at all her outfits.

"Thanks you two, she'll be wearing those all the time I think." Jess said with a laugh.

"That's alright, I used to love dressing up when I was little." Sally said, helping Lexi put on the police officer dress up.

"Are you going to arrest someone Lexi?" Beth asked as Lexi pulled out her toy handcuffs.

"Daddy." Lexi said giggling, running up to Callum and trying to put the handcuffs round his wrists. Callum took his arm from round Jess' shoulder and scooped Lexi up, throwing her in the air and then blowing rasberries on her belly.

"I caught a little PC Stone." he said with a growl tickling her as she squirmed in his arms. The sound of her laughter followed the three women as they made their way into the kitchen.

_There's a place I go  
When I'm alone  
Do anything I want  
Be anyone I wanna be  
But it is us I see  
And I cannot believe I'm fallin_

Sally leant against a counter and said, "Who would have thought that he would allow a small girl to put make up all over his face."

"I know! But she has him round her little finger." Jess said with a smile.

"And it's not just him, it's you as well!" Beth said, sticking her tongue out at her.

"Well yeah, but after everything we went through to have her..."Jess didn't finish the sentence, instead handing Beth and Sally a drink.

"Right, what needs doing?" Sally asked in a business like tone.

"Um balloons, streamers, party poppers, food, drinks..." Jess ticked the things off on her fingers.

"And when are all her little friends coming?" Beth asked.

"Four o'clock. And Nate, Will and Smithy are coming at the end of their shift, so they'll be here about two-ish." Jess said.

"How many more little people are coming?" Beth asked.

"Uh, about 8 I think." Jess said, handing Sally the balloons.

"Isn't she little miss popular!" Sally said with a grin.

"If she's anything like her mother." Beth added.

"What is with the Jess beating today? What have I done?!" Jess asked.

"Nothing, but you're an easy target sorry!" Sally said, not seeming sorry at all.

_There's a place I go  
When I'm alone  
Do anything I want  
Be anyone I wanna be  
But it is us I see  
And I cannot believe I'm fallin  
That's where I'm goin  
Where are you goin  
Hold it close won't let this go_

By the time all Lexi's friends had arrived, the house looked like a fairy palace. There were pink and purple balloons hanging from all the lights and dotted round the ceiling, there were silver streamers covering every ceiling downstairs and party poppers had been scattered around the house. The table with the buffet on had a princess table cloth over it with pink plastic plates and napkins. There were also sequins scattered all on the table. Jess, Sally and Beth stood back, admiring their handy work. Callum walked in the front door with Lexi. He had taken her out while they decorated the house, and he had stopped in at the station. As soon as he put Lexi down she ran to Jess who picked her up.

"What do you think princess?" she asked her, planting a kiss on her nose.

"Pretty! Look mummy, Gina gave me this!" Lexi said, producing a bag which had a tiara, a fairy wand and wings in it.

"She liked your police outfit didn't she Lexi." Callum said as he went and kissed Jess. Lexi nodded before running round the house looking at all the decorations.

"Wow, if they're all like that you're going to have your hands full." Sally said to Jess.

"What do you mean I'm going to have my hands full?! That's why you two are here!" Jess said with a shocked look on her face.

"What? You never told us that!" Beth said, sipping her drink.

"Sorry, I thought you realised that." Jess said with a cheeky smile.

_Dream catch me, yea  
Dream catch me when I fall  
Or else I won't come back at all_

Nate and Will were in the kitchen with Beth drinking.

"How can people so little be so loud?" Will asked, his arms crossed. They were hiding out in the kitchen because all the children were in the living room playing musical statues.

"My missus wants us to have kids soon, hopefully this will change her mind." Nate said with a laugh.

"Sally wants to start a family?" Beth asked, shocked. This was the first she had heard of it.

"Yep. I told her she can wait though. We've barely been married for eight months, I would like her to myself a bit longer." Nate said, taking a swig of beer.

"Well good luck to you mate." Will said, patting Nate on the back.

"You just wait until it's you." Nate said, and then his eyes twinkled as he said, "I reckon that Emma Keane fancies you."

Will laughed, "Get out of here. She's a right snobby cow sometimes! She doesn't fancy me, we argue all the time when we're on patrol together."

"But, doesn't that mean you secretly like each other? Isn't that right Beth?" Nate said turning to Beth, but Beth had put her drink down and rushed to the bathroom. She knelt down in front of the toilet and heaved. Once she was finished she splashed her face with cold water.

"Oh brilliant," she said out loud, "I've caught Max's poxy stomach bug." She wiped her mouth and made sure she looked ok before going back into the kitchen and joining Nate and Will.

"You alright Beth?" Will asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, I've just been sick." Beth said, taking a large gulp of her drink.

"Well maybe you shouldn't be drinking that then." Nate suggested, taking her drink off her and handing her a water.

"Thanks. Nah, I think it's a stomach bug, a few people at work have been off because of it." Beth said, drinking the water.

"Or," Nate began, swapping a grin with Will, "You could be pregnant."

"Yeah Beth, who's the lucky man?" Will asked with a snicker.

"Beth's pregnant?" Smithy asked with a confused look on his face as he walked into the kitchen.

"No I am not! I'm not even going out with anyone!" Beth said adamantly.

"That doesn't mean you can't get pregnant Beth. All it takes is one moment of passion with a complete twat, and voila, you are with child." Nate said simply.

"Oh so I take random twats home now do I?" Beth said, her tone very dangerous.

"No, not necessarily, you might not know they're twats..." Nate began before Smithy interrupted.

"Nate?" Smithy said.

"Yes?" Nate replied.

"Shut up." Smithy said, shaking his head. Will and Nate just laughed even more.

_Dream catch me, yea  
Dream catch me when I fall  
Or else I won't come back at all_

_**Song- Newton Faulkner: Dream Catch Me**_


	12. Life Isn't Fair

**Get the tissues ready for this one! Big thank you to my reviewers Hollie, Jo, Meg, Aileen, Krissie and littlebit100. I couldn't do this without you.**

As November changed to December, Beth had been feeling increasingly run down. At first she just thought it was simple stomach bug that she got from Max, but then her muscles began to ache and she was tired all the time. The doctor said she had the flu, so she stayed off work for a week. On Max's days off, he would make her soups and bring her a continual flow of hot water with lemon in. He made sure she stayed in bed all day and brought her books and magazines, trying to make her feel better quicker. Beth lost a lot of weight because of it, and she felt horrible. Her skin was drawn and pallid, and she had big bags under her eyes. But after a week, her symptoms started to alleviate, and she slowly began to feel better. She was starting to get up and about, and would take walks in the park to get her moving again. Finally she was ready to go back to work.

_When you try your best but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want but not what you need  
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse._

Beth and Max were both working the late shift one Saturday night mid way through December. The station was all decked out in tinsel and in the briefing room and the sergeants office were little Christmas trees. Beth hadn't been in the station since the end of November, so she hadn't seen it before. She was sat in the changing rooms with Jess and Sally.

"Who made the Inspector agree to have all these decorations up?" Beth asked, looking at the tinsel on the ceiling.

Jess laughed and said, "Lexi."

"What has Lexi got to do with it?" Beth asked confused.

"We brought her in a few days ago to come and pick Callum up, and she asked Gina why it didn't look like Christmas in here. Lexi was adamant that decorations would help mummy and daddy work better, so the Inspector caved in." Jess said with a smile.

"My god your daughter has some power in this station." Beth said, laughing.

"I know, she is unbelievable sometimes. People just do what she wants! It's not fair really." Jess said with a mock sigh.

"Life isn't fair." Sally said, sticking her tongue out at Jess.

"So are you feeling better now?" Jess asked, turning to Beth.

"Yeah, the doc said I had the flu, but it didn't feel like flu. I just felt weak and tired all the time, and my muscles ached so much! But Max was really good, bringing me homemade soup and hot water with lemon in. He was so sweet about it." Beth said fondly.

"Sounds like it. If I'm ill Nate just becomes doubly annoying." Sally said with a roll of her eyes.

"Aw, you love him really. So what's this I hear about you wanting to start a family?" Beth asked suddenly.

Sally blushed and looked away before saying, "I don't know really. It's just suddenly I've felt really broody, maybe it's because I'm around Lexi so much, but Nate wants to wait, which is fair enough I suppose."

"At least you two are already married." Jess said, remembering when she first found out she was pregnant with Lexi and wasn't even engaged to Callum let alone married to him.

"Yeah, and when it happens it happens." Sally said with a small smile.

"I need to go see Smithy, see what I'm up to today. I'll see you two later." Beth said, waving as she walked out the changing room and down to Smithy's office.

_And the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?_

Beth knocked on the ajar door and was called in.

"PC Green." Smithy said with a smile, "How're you feeling?"

"Much better thanks sarge." Beth replied.

"Right, today you're with PC Keane, she's in the canteen waiting for you. You're just patrolling round Fraser street, we've had some calls about disturbances outside the pubs around that are this week. So just make sure everything's nice and quiet. Alright?" he asked her.

"Yep that's fine." Beth said, walking out the office and down to the canteen. She spotted Emma immediately at the table in the corner with Will. She walked over and sat down next to Will.

"I'm with you tonight." Beth said to Emma with a smile.

"Ok, Smithy said we're patrolling round Fraser street." Emma replied, sipping her tea.

"Yeah, should be fun, out in the cold." Beth said with a laugh.

"I've got all my thermals on." Emma said with a grin.

"Does that include thermal underwear?" Will asked with a cheeky grin at Emma. Beth did a double take; only last month Will was saying what a stuck up cow he thought Emma was!

"Ah, sorry Will, I can't tell you that." Emma said with a wink, before finishing off her tea and standing up. "I'll go and get the car warmed up. Meet you there in 5 minutes?"

Beth nodded and Emma walked off. She turned to Will, her eyebrows raised.

"What?" he asked, his face innocent.

"I thought you said Emma was a stuck up cow, and now you're flirting with her!" Beth said.

"Well she was, but she's alright now. We've been out for drinks a few times, and before you say it, we weren't on our own. I like her though." Will said with a wistful smile.

"Poor Emma." Beth said standing up.

"Whaddya mean poor Emma?" Will asked, looking up at her.

"Well, once you set your sights on a girl, they don't stand a chance do they." Beth said with a smirk as she walked out the canteen and down to where the patrol car was.

_Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

Beth and Emma had been patrolling the area surrounding Fraser street for over an hour. It was nearing midnight and it was absolutely freezing. They were both shivering, even though they were wrapped up as warm as possible.

"I think Smithy is trying to kill us." Emma said through chattering teeth.

"Agreed. Let's find somewhere we can get a coffee to go." Beth said, shivering. They were approaching a pub called "The Cock and Hen" when they could hear raised voices. They looked at each other, praying they wouldn't have to run after anyone. They sped up their pace and had just reached the pub when two men flew out the door. They were so wrapped up in trying to beat the other unconscious they didn't notice to cops.

"I'll try get the bald bloke, you get the other." Emma said, running over to where the two men were grappling. "OI! Break it up now!"

"Police! Stop fighting, get off him!" Beth shouted as she tried to pull the stockier man off the bald man. It looked like Emma was having more luck, but the bald man lashed out behind him, sending Emma flying into a pile of black rubbish sacks. She quickly got up, pulling the rotting yellow banana skin off her stab vest.

"Right, that's it, you're arrested for affray, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand me?" Emma shouted at the man, finally managing to pull him up off the floor and cuffing him. The man grunted at her, and Emma pushed him towards the direction of the squad car. "I'll call in for another car, ok Beth?"

"Yep, ok." Beth shouted back, cuffing the other man and following Emma to their car. She massaged her left shoulder, it had began to hurt all of a sudden. It was probably from where the men were lashing out at each other and she was trying to separate them. Emma had placed her bald prisoner into the car and came round to where Beth was.

"Are you ok?" Beth asked Emma, but as Emma came closer Beth recoiled, "God, what did you land on?"

Emma wrinkled her nose, "I don't know, but it doesn't smell too healthy. You alright?" Emma asked, indicating Beth's shoulder.

"Yeah, I think I just pulled a muscle or something. Who's coming to get this one?"

"Will and Nate. They're only round the corner, thank god." Emma said with a laugh, rubbing her hands together.

Will and Nate showed up and took Beth's guy to their car and placed him roughly in the backseat. They walked back up to the two women, and then both took a step back when they smelt Emma.

"Blimey Emma, you trying a new perfume?" Nate asked, putting a hand over his mouth and nose.

"Yeah, is it called Eau de garbage?" Will asked with a laugh.

"Oh shut up both of you. This one here knocked me into a pile of black rubbish bags." Emma said.

"Well it smells like whatever you landed on had been dead for some time." Will said as him and Nate made their way back to their car.

"See you back at the station, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't come near me until you've had a shower." Nate said with a smile and snicker.

"Ha ha, very funny." Emma said, shaking her head and turning to their car. "God they're immature sometimes."

Beth looked disbelieving, "Sometimes? Try all the time!"

The two women laughed as they drove back to the station.

_And high up above earth or down below  
When you're too in love to let it go  
But if you never try you'll never know  
Just what you're worth_

It was one in the morning when they got back to the station. Beth checked their prisoner in at the custody desk while Emma went to have a shower. Once their prisoner had been put in the cells, she walked to the canteen and found Jess and Sally.

"Cold?" Jess asked with a smile as she saw Beth's lips chattering.

"Just a bit." Beth said, huddling into her coat. Sally slid her coffee over to Beth, "Thanks Sal."

"That's alright. We've got a briefing in ten minutes, so you better drink that quickly." Sally said with a sympathetic smile.

Beth sighed, "What for?" she moaned.

"I don't know. Maybe it's the announcement of who won the Christmas raffle?" Jess suggested.

"Ah yeah, maybe." Sally said nodding. Beth finished off her coffee and threw the cup in the bin.

"Right then, let's go." Beth said, pushing her chair back and standing up. As she stood up, she suddenly felt dizzy and a wave of nausea overcame her. She gripped the table and shut her eyes.

"Beth? Beth are you ok?" Jess asked, holding Beth up. Beth took in a deep breath and tried to steady herself. Slowly the feeling began to pass.

"Yeah, yeah I'm ok now. Just felt a bit dizzy that's all." Beth said, letting go of the table. She swayed a little, but managed to stay upright.

"Maybe you should go home. We can tell the Inspector." Sally suggested, taking Beth's other arm and slowly walking out of the canteen.

"No, seriously I'm fine now. I haven't eaten for ages, that's all it is. Thanks." Beth said, taking her arm out of Jess and Sally's hold.

"Well if you're sure..." Jess said, looking concerned.

"Yeah I am." Beth looked at both of them and laughed, "Really, I'm fine."

"Ok then, let's get to this briefing." Sally said, watching Beth carefully.

_Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you _

They were nearly at the briefing room when Beth started to feel dizzy again. She stopped and leant against the wall, breathing heavily. The pain in her shoulder had returned as well, which didn't help. She bowed her head and shut her eyes, wanting the pain to go away.

"Beth? Are you feeling dizzy again?" Jess asked worriedly. Beth managed to nod, but that made her feel any worse. "Ok listen, we're going to try and get you into this room and sit you down ok? Sally get her arm."

Sally walked round Jess and took Beth's arm in hers, but Beth suddenly sagged between them, falling to the floor.

"Beth? Beth can you hear me?" Jess asked, tapping Beth's chest. She placed Beth on her back and checked her breathing. She was breathing thank God, so Jess placed her in the recovery position. "Sally, go get some help!"

Sally ran off to the briefing room to get someone while Jess tried unsuccessfully to rouse Beth. "Beth come on, wake up for me." she kept repeating to Beth. After a few minutes Sally ran out the briefing room followed by the Inspector and Callum and Smithy.

"What happened?" Smithy asked, bending down by Jess.

"She felt dizzy in the canteen but it passed, and as we were walking here it happened again. We were going to get her in there and sit down, but she just collapsed. She's breathing fine, but she's unresponsive." Jess said, tapping Beth's shoulders.

"This is an ambulance call," Callum said into his radio, "Ambulance required at Sun Hill police station. Female suddenly collapsed, she's breathing but unresponsive."

"Jess, she's bleeding." Sally said, pointing at the floor. Jess scooted closer and looked up at the Inspector. She stood up and said quietly, "I think she might be having an ectopic pregnancy."

"What?" the Inspector asked, a shocked look on her face.

"The symptoms fit. She said to Emma she had shoulder tip pain, she's been feeling dizzy and lethargic, she's collapsed and now she's bleeding." Jess said quickly.

"She's pregnant?" the Inspector asked, looking down at Beth, still shocked.

"At Lexi's party she was sick, and she had that bug thing, but that could have been morning sickness. Callum, get an ETA on the ambulance." Jess said, kneeling back down next to Beth. "Beth, if you can hear me, I think you're suffering from an ectopic pregnancy. You're going to be ok though."

"I need an ETA on the ambulance. The casualty is now bleeding, suspected ectopic pregnancy." Callum said into his radio.

"ETA is one minute." the answer replied.

_Tears stream, down your face  
When you lose something you cannot replace  
Tears stream down your face and I..._

The paramedics placed Beth on the board and placed an oxygen mask over her face. They agreed with Jess that is was possible it could be an ectopic pregnancy, and they needed to get her to the hospital straight away otherwise she could die.

"Ma'am, can we go with her?" Jess asked, watching as the paramedics placed a blanket over Beth.

"Yes yes of course. Let me know how she is ok?" the Inspector replied, her face drawn.

"We will. Sally, I'll be there in a minute." Jess said to Sally, who followed the paramedics out of the station. Jess quickly kissed Callum before turning to Gina. "Do you know if Max is in the station?"

"DS Carter? No he's out on a case, why?" Gina asked, confused.

"You need to get hold of him. Tell him that Beth is in the hospital." Jess said as she raced down the stairs and after Sally.

"Max?" Smithy asked, looking from Callum to Gina.

"I think they're a thing." Callum answered.

"Right Smithy, go to CID and get someone to contact him. Say it's urgent." Gina ordered.

"Ma'am." Smithy said as he ran off to CID.

"Callum, we should go and tell the others what's just happened." Gina said sombrely.

"I don't think we should say about the ectopic pregnancy, cause we don't even know if that's what it is yet." Callum said, holding the door open for her.

"Yes, you're right. Ok then, lets do it." Gina said, her face set as she faced her officers.

_Tears stream, down your face  
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes  
Tears stream down your face and I..._

Two hours later, Jess and Sally were sat in the waiting room on the maternity ward. Beth had suffered an ectopic pregnancy and had to have an emergency operation to fix it. Max still hadn't arrived, no-one could get hold of him. Eventually a doctor came out into the waiting room and over to Jess and Sally.

"Are you Miss Green's friends?" he asked them. They nodded and he beckoned at them to follow him. He led them to a room where Beth was. She looked terrible, so pale, and still so skinny.

"What happened?" Sally asked, wiping her eyes.

"Well as you said, it was an ectopic pregnancy. We managed to get the foetus out, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. Unfortunately we have to perform a hysterectomy." the doctor said sadly.

"What?! She is 22 years old! Couldn't you have done anything else?" Jess asked angrily.

The doctor looked slightly abashed, "No I'm sorry, there was too much bleeding. At first we were only going to tie off one fallopian tube, leaving her with one which would still produce eggs and she could still hopefully conceive. But she lost too much blood too quickly, we had no choice."

"You are kidding me." Jess said, tears streaming down her face for what one of her best friends had lost.

"I'm so sorry. She should be waking up soon, and then I can tell her." the doctor said, a grim expression on his face.

"No, we'll tell her." Jess said coldly. She knew it wasn't really the doctors fault, Beth would have died if they hadn't performed the hysterectomy. But Beth was only 22! If it was her, Jess would be heartbroken.

"Very well, but break it to her gently." the doctor said, looking once more into Beth's room.

"Of course we will!" Sally snapped, wiping her tears away.

Jess took a deep breath, "Let's go and sit with her. She shouldn't be alone." Sally just nodded, and they slowly entered her room.

_Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

It was half an hour before Beth woke up. She could feel two people holding her hands, and as she looked around groggily, she saw Jess and Sally sat there. They had tears down their faces, and Beth couldn't understand why. Where the hell was she?

"What happened? Where am I?" Beth asked, her voice hoarse. She coughed a few times and Sally handed her a cup of water. She gulped it down, then waited for their reply. Jess and Sally exchanged looks before Sally said, "Beth you're in the hospital. You collapsed at work, do you remember?"

Beth racked her brains, and she vaguely remembered feeling really ill as they walked to the briefing room, but then it all went black. She slowly nodded.

"But why am I in here?" she asked.

Jess bit her lip, "Well honey, when you collapsed you started bleeding. I'm afraid you suffered an ectopic pregnancy." Another tear made its way down Jess' face.

"What?" Beth asked, looking at the two women closely, thinking this was all a horrid joke.

"The doctors had to operate, you nearly died. And they had to...well they had to give you a hysterectomy." Sally said sadly, wiping her eyes with a tissue.

"A hysterectomy?" Beth asked, her throat starting to tighten where she was trying not to cry. Sally just nodded, holding Beth's hand tighter. "I was pregnant?"

"Yes sweetie, you were." Jess said sadly. "You were about 2 months gone."

"Can you leave please?" Beth said quietly.

"But Beth..." Sally started.

"Please go, I want Max, I need Max!" she said, starting to become hysterical.

"Ok, we'll get him, don't worry." Jess said as her and Sally got up. As the door shut to Beth's room, they heard her cry, a loud cry filled with anguish and grief for the child she lost which she didn't even know she was carrying.

_Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

Jess and Sally were sat in the waiting room, waiting for Max to turn up. Jess had called Callum, letting him know what had happened, and he had told the Inspector. Callum told Jess that Max had been called and was on his way to the hospital as they spoke, although he didn't know why. Sally had gone to get them coffees when Max made his way into maternity. He looked around, and spotted Jess.

"Jess? What's going on? Where's Beth?" he asked, panic in his voice.

"Oh Max, I'm so sorry." Jess said. How do you tell a person that your girlfriend has just had an ectopic pregnancy, nearly died, and then had to have a hysterectomy?

"Jess, just tell me what's going on!" Max said, raising his voice.

"Beth collapsed at work, she suffered an ectopic pregnancy. They operated, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. She would have died, so they had to do an emergency hysterectomy." Jess said, holding in the tears that were about to fall again. Max just stood there silently, taking it all in. Beth had been pregnant with their baby, but the baby had died and now they couldn't have anymore.

"Where is she?" he asked quietly, not able to meet Jess' eyes.

"I'll show you." Jess walked down the corridors until they came to Beth's room. "Max?"

Max looked up at Jess. "I really am sorry." Jess placed her hand on Max's arm, and then turned and walked back to the waiting room.

_Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

Max opened the door quietly. Beth was turned facing the opposite wall. Max couldn't tell if she was awake or not.

"Beth?" he said quietly into the room. He saw Beth's chest heaving with silent tears. He was across the room in a heartbeat, Beth gathered into his arms. "Oh Beth, I am so sorry. So so sorry." Max kept repeating into her hair, not being able to cry.

"I lost our baby Max." Beth cried, struggling to catch her breath through the tears.

"It's ok, it wasn't your fault. I'm just glad you're still alive." Max said in a soothing voice.

"We were going to have a baby." Beth said, a long cry coming out her mouth. It was the worst sound Max had ever heard. That cry contained hurt, guilt, loss, desperation, grief, anguish, and the thought that they would never have children together. Max slowly got onto Beth's hospital bed, and she moved over to make room for him. Max tucked his body around Beth's, holding her together, but also holding him together. Beth finally fell asleep, but Max couldn't sleep, he couldn't cry, he couldn't grieve. He slowly got off the bed, trying not to make Beth stir, and kissed her on her pale forehead. He walked out of the hospital and got into his car, on autopilot, not knowing where he was going. He stopped the car in front of their house and walked in.

_Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

He got into the kitchen and picked up a plate which was drying. He threw it at the wall, feeling a sense of release when it shattered. He swept his hand across the table, knocking off cups and plates, cutlery and fruit. He grabbed the mugs that were by the kettle and threw those two; they splintered and the shards fell onto the floor with a clatter. As he made his way through the cupboards, throwing whatever he could get his hands on, his vision became more and more blurry. He was about to throw a glass bowl when all his grief finally came out. The bowl dropped to the floor as Max did, and he sat on the floor curled in on himself, crying for the child they had lost.

_**Song- Coldplay: Fix You**_


	13. Paint It Black

**Unlucky 13? Maybe! Thanks to my reviewers Aileen, Krissie, Hollie, Jo, Meg and littlebit100. Enjoy!**

Beth was released from hospital a week before Christmas. She had tried to talk to Max about what had happened, with no success. He didn't want to talk about it, and Beth had convinced herself it was because he didn't care that they couldn't have children together. But this was the complete opposite of how he felt. He didn't know how to tell her how much he was hurting inside, and how much he wanted her to be ok again. Their relationship had taken a battering, but they were both determined to make it all better again.

_You light the skies, up above me  
A star, so bright, you blind me, yeah  
Don't close your eyes  
Don't fade away, don't fade away_

Max picked Beth up, and helped her into the car, placing all the flowers, balloons and stuffed animals in the boot. He got into the drivers side and looked at Beth. She had put on a bit of weight, but she was still so pale, and the bags under her eyes seemed to get bigger. Max turned to her, about to say something, but as Beth looked at him expectantly, he changed his mind and instead asked, "How're you feeling?"

"Honestly?" Beth asked.

"Honestly." Max replied.

"Like utter crap. I just want to get in, go to bed and sleep." Beth said, leaning back in the seat.

Max nodded, "Ok, well you can do that then." He didn't know what to say to her, how to make her feel better.

"Max, I think we should talk about what happened." Beth said suddenly as they were nearing the house.

"Beth, I...I just can't ok." Max replied sadly.

Beth became angry. She needed to talk to him about it, she couldn't talk to Sally or Jess because they didn't understand how she felt. "Max, I need to talk about it! I've got so much to say, and you're the only one who understands." she said, tears welling up, making her vision blurry.

Max pulled into their drive and just sat in the seat, looking straight ahead. "I know, but I don't know how to help you. I don't know how to tell you how I feel. I don't know how to move forward."

Beth reached out her hand, and Max took it in his own. "Come on, let's go inside, get some tea, and have a talk." Beth said softly.

"Tea solves everything." Max said with a small smile.

_Yeah you and me we can ride on a star  
If you stay with me girl  
We can rule the world-  
Yeah you and me we can light up the sky  
If you stay by my side  
We can rule the world_

As Beth stepped into the house she gasped. There were Christmas decorations hanging from the ceiling, and little lights twinkling from their position around the mirror in the hall. She walked into the living room and smiled at the sight of the big fir tree which was covered in tinsel and lights with little ornaments hanging off the ends of the branches, and underneath the tree was a small pile of presents. They were candles dotted on the coffee table and little Christmas ornaments scattered on the surfaces.

"Come into the kitchen." Max said from the doorway, leading her down the hall and through to the kitchen. Max had replaced all the smashed plates and cups, and hoped that Beth wouldn't notice. He had placed one of his mum's old vases in the centre of the table filled with white lillies and pink roses, and there were some candles lit which were giving off a cinnamon smell. There were two glasses of red wine at the place settings, and on the mats were bowls of chicken soup. Beth looked round at Max and hugged him tight.

"Thank you Max, all of this is beautiful." she said sincerely.

"I didn't think you would be up to doing it, so I took the liberty." he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Now, lets eat before it gets cold."

Once they had finished lunch, Beth was too tired to have that talk with Max about the baby. She fell asleep on the sofa in front of the fire, and Max placed a blanket over her body, making sure she was warm. He sat on the other sofa and just watched her for a while, and then he started to talk to her sleeping body.

"Beth, when I found out that you were on the maternity ward I didn't think it was true that you were pregnant. At first I was angry, because we had said no children, not yet anyway. And then I saw Jess' face and knew something was really wrong. I couldn't believe you'd had a hysterectomy, you're only 22, it's not fair. When I saw you, a part of myself shut itself off, and it was all I could do to hold everything in while I was with you. When you fell asleep, I left you there, and I came home. All my grief, my hurt, my sadness, my anguish, my hate for myself being angry at you before I knew what happened; it all came out. I went crazy, and I'm so glad you weren't there to see it. I threw anything I could get my hands on, the kitchen was a state once I was finished in there. And I still didn't feel better. I have this hole, Beth, this hole that I know that the love for our baby should be. And now we're not having a baby, and this hole just keeps getting bigger and I don't know what to do. I don't want to burden you with my feelings, you have enough of that without me adding mine. Where do we go from here? What are we supposed to do?" Max finished, his chest heaving with the tears that wouldn't come. At least he'd told her now, no matter if she wasn't actually awake when he told her. But he didn't know that Beth had heard every word, and was finding it hard not to jump up and hug him. Eventually it became too much and she sat up, pulling the blanket off her and sat next to Max, who looked shocked to see she was awake. She put her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"You could never burden me Max, never. You should have told me how you felt earlier. We have to stick together." Beth said, tears running down her face.

_If walls break down, I will comfort you  
If angels cry, oh I'll be there for you  
You've saved my soul  
Don't leave me now, don't leave me now_

Christmas day was a sad day for the couple. They went through all the motions; opening their presents, having a Christmas lunch complete with turkey and all the trimmings, watching the Queen's speech, having whatever was left from lunch for dinner, and then sitting on the sofa for the rest of the night, snuggled up together on the sofa. But it felt like something was missing. They both knew what it was, but they had no way of fixing it, and it looked like that was how it was going to be for a while.

_Yeah you and me we can ride on a star  
If you stay with me girl  
We can rule the world  
Yeah you and me, we can light up the sky  
If you stay by my side  
We can rule the world_

The New Year came about much as Christmas had, and before Beth knew it she was back at work. Beth and Max both agreed that maybe they should go to bereavement counselling, because neither of them felt like they were living properly when they had all this grief in them. As the months progressed, the sessions got easier, and they felt themselves being able to live properly for the first time in months. Their relationship started to get back on track, and they could enjoy being together again. They never forgot what they lost, and they never would, but the counselling sessions had made it easier for them to cope with their pain. This was put to the test when Jess and Callum invited them over for dinner one night. Beth had been avoiding going round to their house as she wasn't sure how she could cope seeing Lexi after what happened, but when she went with Max, she was ok. Lexi was ecstatic to see Beth, and immediately ran up to her and hugged her legs. It felt natural for Beth to pick her up and give her a kiss and a cuddle, but she noticed Callum, Jess and Max all watching her warily.

"I'm fine, honestly." she said to them with a smile.

"Come on Lexi, honey, it's your bedtime." Jess said, smiling as she took her daughter from Beth's arms. She took her upstairs while Callum led Beth and Max into the dining room where dinner was waiting. Jess finally came down after twenty minutes and took her place beside Callum.

"You should have started!" she said with a laugh, and they all dug in. Once dinner was finished, Jess looked at Callum. He nodded and she looked over to Beth and Max. "Me and Callum have been talking, and we would like to discuss something with you."

"Oh?" Beth asked, looking to Max and then back to Jess.

"Forgive me if this seems insensitive and too soon. We were talking about how awful it must be for you not to have children naturally," Jess began, and she watched Beth wince. "I'm sorry this was a bad idea."

"No, no carry on." Beth said, with a small smile.

"Ok, well we thought that if it were us, we wouldn't give up. We would try surrogacy." Jess said.

"Well we had thought about that, but it's too soon to do it." Beth said with a nod.

"Right. Me and Callum had discussed me being a surrogate for you, only if you wanted it of course." Jess said, waiting with baited breath what they would say. Beth's mouth dropped open and she turned to face Max whose face mirrored her own.

"Are you serious?" Max asked, and Jess couldn't tell if he was angry or not. Jess and Callum nodded.

"You would do that for us?" Beth asked quietly.

"Of course I would! I can't begin to imagine what you went through, but I want to help you and be a surrogate for you if you wanted it. You're one of my best friends Beth, I just want you to be happy." Jess said sincerely, reaching across the table for Beth's hand.

"I don't know what to say! That's the most amazing thing anyone has ever said to me. I think we'd have to talk about it, but thank you so much." Beth said, getting up and walking round the table to hug Jess. When they let go, both of them had tears running down their face, but they were smiling.

_All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you, for you  
All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you, for you_

The months flew by and soon it was April. Beth and Max had accepted Jess and Callum's offer of surrogacy, but they were going to wait a while before making any plans to go ahead with it. It was a Sunday at the beginning of April, and Beth was walking to the station to see Max. There was a spring in her step as she walked. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and it was so warm that Beth took off her jacket. As she walked, she didn't notice that she was being followed by one of them who had tried to kill her all those months ago. Michael pulled out his phone as he followed at a distance.

"Boss, it's Mike. Guess who I've just seen." he said into the phone.

"Enlighten me." came the reply.

"PC Beth Green." Michael said with a cruel smile on his face. There was a pause on the other end of the line before Charlie eventually said, "Keep close to her, don't let her out of your sight."

"Ok boss." Michael replied.

"Me and Leon will be there in a minute in the car." Charlie said hanging up.

As Michael followed Beth and realised she was heading for the station, he rang Leon to tell them to pick him up from across the road so they could follow her when she came out. Moments later the silver car with blacked out windows pulled up next to Michael and he got into the front passenger seat. Both Leon and Charlie had gloves and masks on, and next to Charlie in the back passenger seat was a knife and two baseball bats.

_Yeah you and me we can ride on a star  
If you stay with me girl  
We can rule the world  
Yeah you and me, we can light up the sky  
If you stay by my side  
We can rule the world_

Beth strolled into the station and smiled at Tony who was on reception.

"Morning Beth." Tony said with a smile.

"Morning Tony. Is Jess about?" she asked.

"Yeah she was in the Sergeants office when I last saw her." Tony said, opening the door for her.

"Thanks, see you later." she said, waving as she walked down the corridor. She stopped outside the Sergeants office and briskly knocked.

"Come in!" came the reply, and Beth walked in to see Jess sat in Callum's seat while Callum was filing some reports.

"Hi, ready to go?" Beth asked, hugging Jess.

"Yep, have you got the champagne?" Jess asked, leaning down to pick up her gift bag which had a big "Congratulations" card in and a little teddy.

"Yes I have." Beth said with a smile producing the big bottle of champagne.

"I still can't believe she didn't tell us earlier!" Jess said, kissing Callum as they walked out.

"Yeah I know, we should have known it was coming really. I'm so happy for her." Beth said as they walked down the corridor.

"Oh Jess!" someone shouted from down the corridor. Jess turned around and saw the Inspector.

"Ma'am?" she asked.

"I'm really sorry, but I need you here for a bit longer. Only an extra hour, please?" Gina begged.

Jess sighed and looked at Beth apologetically. "Will you be ok for an hour without me?"

"Of course, don't worry. I'll tell Sally you'll be along a bit later, she won't mind." Beth said.

"Ok then, yes I can stay for an extra hour. I'll see you soon." Jess said, quickly hugging Beth before following the Inspector down the corridor.

_All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you, for you_

Before Beth left the station, she quickly walked up to CID and spied Max sitting at his desk. She walked over to him and sat on his desk. He turned round and smiled at her.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked.

"I just came to quickly see you before I head to Sally's." Beth replied, placing the bottle of champagne on his desk.

"Is that for me?" he asked.

"No silly, it's for Sally so we can celebrate her pregnancy!" Beth said with a laugh. Max's face became more serious.

"Are you sure you're ok about it?" Max asked her.

Beth placed her hand on his cheek, "I wouldn't go if I wasn't sure. She's my friend Max, I can't not go. And anyway, I'm fine."

Max looked at intently for a few minutes more before nodding and kissing the palm of Beth's hand, "Ok then, if you're sure. When will you be home?"

"I don't know, about 9 o'clock? I'll bring home some Chinese. I love you!" Beth said, kissing him on the lips before making her way out of CID and out of the station.

_All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you, for you_

Beth hailed a can outside the station, and gave him Sally's address. She sat back in her seat, excited to be seeing Sally again. She didn't notice the silver car following her all the way to Sally's, nor did she notice the three men in that car get out when she got out the cab. She made her way over to the main door to the flats and rang the bell to Sally's flat.

"Hello?" Sally's voice crackled over the speaker.

"It's Beth!" Beth said into it.

Sally laughed and pressed the access button so Beth could get in. Before the door shut, the three men ran across and made their way into the block of flats. They watched the lift to see what level Beth was getting out on, and then made their way up the stairs to that level. As they came out the stairwell they saw her making her way to a door down the corridor, and waited until the door was opened by a blonde woman until they ran at Beth and the other woman, forcing themselves into the flat.

_All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you, for you_

Beth felt herself being pushed forward from behind, and spun round to see three men entering the flat and bocking the door.

"Get back!" one of the men shouted, and Beth realised she recognised the voice.

"I know you." she said to the man. The man stopped and pulled off his balaclava to reveal a face that regularly haunted Beth's dreams. It was Michael.

"So you do my darlin'. Now you'd be wise to do as you're told." he said with a smirk to her. The other two men pulled off their masks as well, and as Beth thought, it was Leon and Charlie.

"We meet again. We've been waiting for the oppurtunity to finish you off. We were rudely interrupted by your boyfriend last time weren't we." Charlie said with an intense look.

Beth quickly looked behind her to where Sally was. She moved over slightly so Sally could get her phone out and dial 999 without the men seeing.

"You want me, so let her go. She doesn't need to get hurt." Beth said, trying to hold her voice strong. Sally rapidly keyed in 999 and waited. If the operator could hear what was going on, she would put the call straight through to the police. Luckily Charlie didn't notice what was happening.

"Oh no, I don't think so. We don't play by your rules PC Green. You've put your friend at risk, we're not gonna help you out by saying she can go, especially now that she knows who we are." Charlie said. At the station, Smithy had picked up the call and he could hear the voices, but he couldn't work out what was going on.

"Please, just let us both go. If you let us go, we won't say anything, you can get away, the police will never catch you." Sally said, pleading with the men. Smithy was shocked to hear Sally's voice. He sent Roger to go and get the Inspector, Max, Nate and Jess.

"Even if you don't let us both go, the police will realise what's going on. They know that I'm here, I'm due back at work in half an hour. If I don't turn up this is the first place they'll come." Beth said, slowly stepping back to stand next to Sally.

Charlie laughed, a cruel laugh. "Oh Beth, don't make me laugh! You're not due back at work in half an hour, and your police friends are too dumb to realise something is wrong. So we don't have to worry do we. Now, enough with the chit chat, I'd like to finish what I came here for."

"Boss!" Michael said suddenly, pointing at Sally. "She's got a phone!" Charlie's head whipped round to follow where Michael was pointing. He tutted and shook his head.

"That wasn't a very clever thing to do was it." he said. He looked at Leon and nodded.

_All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you, for you_

Leon bent down and fumbled around a minute before standing upright with a knife in his hand. He started edging closer and closer to Sally and Beth, waving the knife around. "Now Leon." Charlie said in a bored voice. Leon lunged forward towards Sally. She didn't have a chance to move out of the way, but before she knew what was happening she was falling to the floor and the phone flew out of her hand and across the wooden floor to where it rested underneath a counter. Sally opened her eyes and looked next to her. Beth was lying on the floor, her hands covered in blood, holding the handle of the knife that was sticking out of her abdomen.

"Oh my god Beth!" Sally screamed, quickly getting to her knees and moving over to where Beth was lying on the floor.

"Oh shit, quick get out of here!" Michael shouted at the other two. Michael ran out of the flat, quickly followed by Charlie. Leon looked to the door, then to where his knife was currently sticking out of Beth's stomach, and back again. Sally and Beth would have found it funny if Beth wasn't bleeding out onto the floor. Leon ran over to where Beth was.

"No, don't pull it out!" she screamed at Leon, but Leon ignored her and yanked the knife upwards and out of Beth's stomach. He quickly followed after Charlie and Michael and was soon out of sight. As soon as the knife was removed, the blood started to pump out of Beth much more rapidly.

"Oh my god, Beth stay awake!" she said to Beth as she scrambled for something to place on Beth's wound. She grabbed a tea towel from the counter and ran back over to Beth and pushed the towel onto Beth's stomach. Beth moaned in pain as the blood soon stained the light blue towel dark red. "HELP ME! GET AN AMBULANCE! Beth's been stabbed!" Sally screamed towards the direction of the phone. She looked down at Beth, who was staring at her stomach in horror, "Beth, you saved me, you saved my baby, oh God, you need to stay awake!"

_All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you, for you_

At the station, Smithy, Gina, Max, Nate and Jess all heard the events unfurling. There were no units nearby to send, they were all attending a major RTA. As soon as Sally screamed that Beth had been stabbed, Max, Nate and Jess sprinted out the room and out the station and got into Jess and Nate's patrol car. They sped off towards Sally and Nate's flat while Smithy called in for an ambulance.

_All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you, for you_

At the flat, Sally had grabbed another tea towel to place on top of the one which was soaked through with blood. She wiped her left hand across her face, wiping away the tears so she could see clearly, but leaving a trail of blood across her face.

"Come on Beth, don't leave me! Not now, please! Who's going to drink the champagne with me?" Sally said desperately. After a few minutes, Sally could hear sirens outside. "Can you hear that? They're here, the ambulance is here. You're going to be ok, you are."

"Sally, I want Max." Beth said tearfully, tears streaming down her face.

"I know, he'll be here soon." Sally replied, wiping Beth's tears. Sally looked up when she heard footsteps thundering down the corridor and looked up to see Nate, Jess and Max sprinting down the corridor and into the flat. They stopped when they saw Sally and Beth by the kitchen, a pool of blood spreading underneath Beth's body.

_**Song- Take That: Rule The World**_


	14. In A Dream

**Tissues at the ready everyone! Thanks so much my reviewers, Hollie, Aileen, Krissie, Jo, Meg and littlebit100. **

"Oh my god!" Jess cried as she rushed to where Sally and Beth were. Nate followed after her, pulling Sally away from Beth and into his arms. She sobbed loudly on his shoulder; Nate turned so that Sally wouldn't have to see it. Jess grabbed the towels that Sally had been using and pushed them onto Beth's wound. Beth cried in pain, "I'm so sorry Beth. But we have to stop the bleeding ok?"

"Max?" she whispered, craning her neck trying to see him.

"Beth lie down, he's just over there." Jess said, looking over her shoulder to see Max just standing in the doorway looking at Beth and all the blood around her. "Max!" Jess said sharply. Max shook his head, as if to clear it, and quickly made his way over to Beth. He knelt down by her side, taking her small hand in his.

"Oh Beth." he said sadly, pushing her hair out of her clammy face. Beth managed a weak smile for him, but the tears dripping her face belied her true feeling. "You are such a danger magnet, aren't you?"

"What can I say, I always have to be the centre of attention." she mumbled with a weak laugh. She turned her head slowly so she could see Jess, Nate and Sally. Sally wiped her eyes and looked over to where Beth was. "Listen carefully."

Sally moved closer to Beth, Nate holding her hand all the while, "Anything." Sally said.

"I love you all, so, so much. You're the best friends I could ever have had. Sally, Nate, look after my god child for me. Jess, look after that beautiful little girl of yours and never let her go." Beth said with a smile which temporarily lit up her pale face. Jess and Sally both nodded, too choked up to say anything coherently.

"Come on sweetie, hang in there. You can look after the new baby, and see Lexi again. You're going to be ok." Jess said, nodding at her.

"I can't Jess, we both know that. I'm sorry." Beth said quietly.

"Don't apologise, please, just stay with us." Jess repeated again, pleading with her.

Beth turned to look at Max, her Max. Max bent forward so that Beth wouldn't have to use energy making herself heard. "Max Carter, I love you more than I can express. I'll love you until the world stops spinning."

Max blinked his eyes a few times, he could see the life dimming out of Beth's eyes. He fumbled in his pocket, searching for the thing that would bring a smile back on her pale face, the thing that he was going to give her tonight over a romantic dinner. "Beth, look, stay with us, you have to stay. Look what I've got for you. I was going to give it to you tonight..." he didn't finish his sentence. He brought the little black box out of his pocket and into her line of sight so that she could see it. A happy sigh escaped her lips as she realised what was in the box. "You see now why you have to stay with me? You have to stay so that we can get married, Beth Green. What do you say?"

Beth nodded weakly, "I say yes." Max took the small silver band with the three diamonds on it and slipped it onto Beth's ring finger.

"Three diamonds for our past, our present, and our future." he said. Beth started crying even more as Max held her hand up with the ring glinting in the light so she could see it. "I love you future Mrs Carter." Max bent down and brushed his lips against hers. As he came back up, he looked into those big blue eyes of hers. When he looked at her he felt like he was drowning in them, but he wasn't, because she saved him. But now those once bright blue eyes, which used to dance with life, were a flat blue which had dimmed with Beth's death. Max kissed her forehead then stood up. He looked at Nate who was staring at Beth in shock and horror, and then to Jess and Sally, who were on the floor next to Beth, holding each other, trying to keep each other together. And then that awful sound filled with grief and hurt escaped Jess' lips, and it became too much.

_Look down the ground below is crumbling  
Look up the stars are all exploding_

"I'm going to find those bastards who killed her, and then I am going to kill them." Max said, turning to walk out.

"Max..." Nate called after him, "Don't do it. She wouldn't want you to."

Max slowly turned to face Nate, his eyes burning with his loss, "I don't know what the hell she wouldn't want me to do, because she's dead. She might still be alive if she wasn't playing the hero."

"But that was who she was! She wouldn't let someone else get hurt if she could help it. Beth saved Sally and our baby's life, we owe her." Nate said quietly.

"But by saving Sally she killed herself. You can't owe anything to a dead person." Max said softly.

"It's not Sally's fault, if that's what you're implying." Nate said heatedly.

"Stop it, just stop!" Jess shouted from her position on the floor, "Beth is dead and you two are arguing about whose fault it is! She was killed by Leon, she was killed trying to protect her best friend. She's a hero."

"Beth, I'm so, so sorry. You didn't need to protect me." Sally said, tears dripping off her face and onto the floor. She took Beth's cold hand in her warm one, rubbing her hands together trying to warm Beth's up. But it was too much, and she bent over Beth's body, crying until her whole body hurt. Max watched them mourning for Beth, and then he walked out the flat.

_It's the last day on earth  
In my dreams  
It's the end of the world  
And you've come back to me  
In my dreams_

When the station learnt of Beth's death, they were in complete shock. They had seen her that day, laughing with Jess and talking to Max before she left the station, and just like that, she was gone, never to be heard laughing with Jess and Sally in the changing rooms again. When the media got hold of the story, it seemed like the whole of London came to the station to lay flowers for the fallen police officer. Some people left teddies, some people lit candles, others released balloons for her. The amount of compassion that people showed for Beth was unbelievable, but completely deserved. As Jess and Sally walked into the station for the day of the funeral, they watched as people laid more flowers.

"Beth would have loved this." Jess said sadly.

Sally laughed weakly, "Even when she's not here, she still gets all the attention. Just like when we used to go clubbing when we were all single, she'd get all the male attention."

"Typical Beth." Jess said with a sad smile, remembering her lost best friend.

_Between the dust and the debris  
There's a light surrounding you and me_

Six days after her death, on the 10th of April, Beth's funeral was held. It was a beautiful day; a bright blue sky with not a cloud up there. It was a crisp day, but it was warm, one of Beth's favourite type of days. A car containing the Inspector, the Superintendent, the DCI and the DI pulled up outside the Church; the Church where Jess and Callum married, where Lexi was Christened, where Sally and Nate had married, and now where Beth would be laid to rest. They got out of the car and stood in front of the Church with the rest of their officers, all in their dress uniform. The coffin bearers stood a little to the side. Callum, Smithy, Nate, Will, Tony and Ben were going to be carrying Beth's coffin into the Church. A big picture of Beth had been placed inside the Church at the front, and next to that were some flowers. The hearse with Beth's coffin in pulled up to the Church. Beth had a white coffin with the police flag draped across the top, and a spray of brightly coloured tulips laying on top as well. The coffin bearers did a march to the coffin, gently taking it out the hearse and bearing it on their shoulders. They took a slow march into the Church, followed by the Superintendent, the Inspector, the DCI and the DI. After them came Jess, Sally and Lexi. Jess and Callum had talked at length whether Lexi should go, and they agreed she should, so she could say goodbye. Others might have thought she was too young and that she wouldn't understand what was happening, but she had loved Beth, she deserved her chance to say goodbye. In Jess' arms she carried Beth's police hat, and as the coffin was lowered onto its stand, she walked to the front and placed the hat on top of the coffin. She sat down in one of the front pews, Callum on one side with Lexi on his lap, and Sally on the other. She took both of their hands in hers. Sally looked around the Church. "Where's Max?" she whispered to Jess. Jess too looked around the Church, and turned back to Sally, "I didn't think he would come."

_It's the last day on earth  
In my dreams  
It's the end of the world  
And you've come back to me  
In my dreams_

Outside in the graveyard, Max was stood watching as Beth's coffin was carried into the Church. He didn't want to go in, he didn't want people saying how sorry they were. He didn't want to break down in front of people, he just wanted to grieve in peace. That morning when he got up he was determined that he wouldn't go, but he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself unless he went. So he made himself a compromise; he would go to the Church, but he wouldn't sit in there through her funeral. He would wait until everyone else was gone, and then he would grieve for her on his own. His head knew she was gone, but his heart refused to believe it. The day she had died, he had sat on the floor in his hall, calling her mobile just to hear her voice on the answer phone. He walked into the bedroom he shared with her, seeing her everywhere, smelling her everywhere. She wasn't gone, she wouldn't leave him, she was just temporarily absent.

_And you hold me closer than I can ever remember being held.  
I'm not afraid to sleep now, if we can stay like this until_

Jess was supposed to be giving a eulogy about Beth, and as she walked up to the lectern she was determined that she wasn't going to cry. She started off strong, but as she started to talk about the times she had shared with Beth, all those funny times, she just broke down. She tried to start again, but the words wouldn't come out. Lexi started to cry, she didn't like to see her mummy crying. Callum handed Lexi to Sally who hugged her tight, and walked up to the lectern. He put his arms around Jess, and led her back to the pew.

Everyone started to file out of the Church after the funeral and after Beth had been committed to the ground. The wake was to take place at her parents house, they lived twenty minutes away. Finally, it was only Callum, Jess, Lexi, Sally and Nate left over. They stood by Beth's grave, saying their last goodbyes. Lexi was safely in Jess' arms, and Callum was holding them both close. Nate and Sally stood next to them, Nate rubbing Sally's back as she cried. Lexi looked up to Jess.

"Where's auntie Beth?" she asked innocently.

Jess looked at Callum, and then wiped her eyes and said, "Auntie Beth has gone to heaven. She's an angel now."

"Can I go see her?" Lexi asked, looking up at the sky.

"I'm afraid not honey." Jess said shaking her head.

"Why?" Lexi asked, looking at Callum.

"Lexi, auntie Beth has gone to heaven for a long long time, and no-one is allowed to see her." Callum said gently, stroking his daughters blonde hair.

"Like a holiday?" Lexi said.

Jess nodded, "Yes, sort of like a holiday, but she won't be coming back from this one."

As Lexi started to understand that she wouldn't see her auntie Beth again, her lower lip trembled, and she started to cry on Jess' shoulder, "I want auntie Beth!" she wailed.

Jess began to cry again as well, "We all want auntie Beth sweetie, we all do."

The two families eventually walked away from Beth's grave, back to their cars, ready to go to the wake.

_It's the last day on earth  
In my dreams  
It's the end of the world  
And you've come back to me_

Once Max was sure everyone was gone, he slowly meandered through the graves until he was face to face with Beth's. Her gravestone had a picture of her on it, and someone had placed her police hat on top of the gravestone. On the gravestone it said,

_**RIP Bethany Green**_

_**Beloved daughter, fiancée, friend**_

_**Died a hero**_

In smaller writing underneath the main bulk of writing, it read,

_**Our darling Beth, you were too good for this world so God took you to heaven as one of his angels.**_

_**Sleep tight.**_

"Beth, if you can hear me, I love you so much. I don't know what else to say to you, but I hope you're safe. I'll never forget you. Sleep well." Max bit his lip and swallowed, determined not to cry for his lost love. He bent down and placed a single red rose on the freshly turned Earth, straightened up and gently touched the top of the gravestone. "I'll get them Beth, I'll get the bastards who killed you."

_In my head I replay our conversations  
Over and over til they feel like hallucinations  
You know me? I love to lose my mind  
And every time anybody speaks your name I still feel the same  
I ache, I ache, I ache inside._

_**Song- Kate Miller Heidke: Last Day on Earth**_


	15. Everything Hurts

**The penultimate chapter! This story has gone so fast, and I would like to thank my reviewers from the bottom of my heart for all your support. Aileen, Krissie, Hollie, Jo, Meg, littlebit 100 and leafy08, thank you.**

_Sometimes tears say all there is to say  
Sometime your first scars wont ever fade, away  
Tried to break my heart  
Well it's broke  
Tried to hang me high  
Well I'm choked  
Wanted rain on me  
Well I'm soaked  
Soaked to the skin _

It had only been two weeks since she had left him, but it felt so much longer. He hadn't slept properly, he didn't want to eat, he hadn't shaved for days, but he didn't care. He only wanted her back, and seeing as that wasn't happening, he wasn't going to bother with anything. Max had been given as much compassionate leave as he wanted, and he had taken a week of it so far, but it was worse being in the house on his own, the house they had shared for a while. There were a few pictures of them together dotted around the house, but Max couldn't bear to look at them. He had already smashed up the kitchen again, and there had been some casualties in the living room as well. But enough was enough, he was no use at home, so he would go to work.

_It's the end where I begin  
It's the end where I begin _

He woke up after five hours of fitful sleep, feeling worse than he had before. He stumbled into the bathroom, brushed his teeth, washed his face, combed his hair. After all this he still looked dishevelled. He stared at himself for a while, and then punched the mirror, using as much force as he could muster. Pieces of glass flew everywhere, landing in the sink, on the floor, in the bath. He brought his knuckles up so he could see the damage; they were cut and bleeding, so he placed his hand under the tap, running the water as hot as he could. Odd as it might sound, hurting himself made him feel alive, it made him feel _something,_ and that was better than nothing.

_Sometimes we don't learn from our mistakes  
Sometimes we've no choice but to walk away, away  
Tried to break my heart  
Well it's broke  
Tried to hang me high  
Well I'm choked  
Wanted rain on me  
Well I'm soaked  
Soaked to the skin _

He walked into the oddly empty CID, straight to the briefing room. He took a big gulp of his black coffee; it scalded his throat as he swallowed. He looked up at the board where there were various pictures pinned up. On one side were the three faces of the ass holes who had killed Beth. Their grinning faces mocked him; they still hadn't been caught, nor had the murder weapon been found. In the middle of the board was a big picture of the murder scene, all of Beth's blood shining ruby red in the CSE's lights. And on the far side, a picture of Beth. It was a picture taken at Nate and Sally's wedding, she was having the time of her life, smiling brightly into the camera. And underneath her picture, her name, and written in red writing underneath her name, _murdered. _Max looked at her smiling, alive face again, and threw his coffee at it. The black liquid turned Beth's creamy complexion in the picture a dull brown, the coffee dripping steadily down the board and onto the floor. Max yanked the door to CID open and walked over to his desk, sitting down heavily in his chair and turning on the computer. Once it had loaded, he searched Leon, Charlie and Michael, getting their addresses and last known sightings. He sent the information to the printer, tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for the printer to spew out what he needed. He folded the three bits of paper in half, slotting them into his pocket, then walked back to his desk. He unlocked the top drawer, pulling out his baton. He stowed that in his pocket, and ran out the station to his car.

_It's the end where I begin  
It's the end where I begin_

Max had decided to try at their houses first, seeing if they had returned their from wherever they had been hiding. As Max was driving round the estate looking for Leon's block of flats, Neil and Sam had returned to the nick and were walking through CID to the briefing room. They opened the door, and the smell of coffee immediately hit them. They looked around, spying the empty paper cup on the floor. They looked up, seeing the dried coffee on Beth's picture.

"Wasn't Max coming in today, gov?" Sam asked, turning to Neil.

Neil looked at Sam, "Yeah he was, we were going to discuss him coming back." Neil opened the door back to CID and looked over to Max's desk. "His computer's on." They walked over to it, and Sam brought up what Max had been looking at.

"Aren't these the addresses of our suspects?" she asked, turning to look at Neil. Neil had turned round, hand pushing his hair back.

"Yep, and he's printed them off. We need to get uniform support right now, I don't want another dead police officer." Neil said, striding out of CID, followed by Sam.

_Now I'm alive  
and my ghosts are gone  
I've shed all the pain  
I've been holding on  
The cure for a heart  
Is to move along, is to move along  
So move along _

Max was just about to turn round to start again when he saw three familiar faces. Michael, Charlie and Leon were walking around the estate, bold as you like, not even trying to hide their identities. He couldn't believe them, surely they knew that half of the metropolitan police was after them? From where Max was sitting in his car, he could see them laughing and joking. He could feel his blood boiling, his temper rising to the surface. He swung the car door open, slamming it back shut. He stalked over to where the three men were walking, shouting as he went, "YOU ABSOLUTE BASTARDS! Do you not care that you're wanted for murder? For the murder of a police officer no less? Do you not give a shit that you killed the woman I loved, who I was going to marry? She has just been buried! How the hell can you be laughing, with that weighing on your conscience?"

The three men turned to look at Max, their expressions darkening as they realised who Max was, "Do you know what? You can't talk to us like that! Beth was a slag, she was messing around with Jay, she came onto me, and then she thought she'd give you a go. How does it feel being third best? Oh wait, Beth's dead, so it hardly matters does it! She got in the way, she wasn't our target, not at that particular moment in time anyway. If she's stupid enough to throw herself in front of a knife then she deserves to die." Charlie spat coldly at Max.

Max was seething. He pulled out his baton, flicking it so it extended. He lunged at the man, aiming to break as many bones as he could before he killed them.

_What don't kill a heart  
Only makes it strong _

Neil, Sam, Callum, Will, Diane and Mel had arrived at Leon's flat. They push the unlocked door open and stepped into the flat. Will and Callum checked in all the rooms and come back to the hall where the others were standing, looking around.

"They're not here gov. No-one is here." Callum said to Neil.

"Sarge, can you hear that shouting?" Mel asked, walking back out the door and looking over the balcony. "Oh my god, he's down there!" Diane and Mel ran down the stairs, closely followed by Will, Callum, Neil and Sam.

"Do not approach the men!" Callum shouted after his officers.

"Sarge, they're hurting him!" Diane shouted, slowing down as they approached Max and the men. Leon and Michael had wrestled the baton off of Max, it was lying on the concrete pavement nearby. Not having the baton didn't slow Max down though, his fists were flying out and trying to hit anything he could, but Charlie just laughed at him.

"You are a weak foolish man who is going to end up in the same place as Beth if you're not careful." Charlie said vehemently.

"OI! POLICE!" Callum shouted as him and Will ran at the three men, closely followed by Diane and Mel. Leon, Charlie and Michael looked up at the cops running at them, and quickly scarpered. They ran to their car which was parked just slightly down the road and bundled in, screeching off down the road. "Mel, Di, get after them in the patrol car." Callum commanded.

"Sarge." they replied, running to their patrol car and blazing off after the murderers, sirens blaring.

Max was crouched on the floor, trying to get his breath back. He had a cut on his head where one of the men had punched him, and he was breathless where one of them got a kick at his ribs, but other than that he was ok.

"Max?" Callum said quietly, crouching down next to Max. Max looked up at him, still so angry. He wrenched himself upright, walking to his car. "Max, come on mate, we'll take you back to the station. The FME can check you over."

"Are you kidding me? I can't go back to the station, not yet!" he shouted at them. Callum and Will looked as if they were going to follow him, so he ran to his car and sped off, not knowing, or caring, where he ended up.

_Sometimes tears say all there is to say  
Sometime your first scars dont ever fade, away  
Tried to break my heart  
Well it's broke  
Tried to hang me high  
Well I'm choked  
Wanted rain on me  
Well I'm soaked  
Soaked to the skin _

Hours later, as the time approached midnight, Max was hunched over a bar, nursing a double shot of whiskey. Besides him there were numerous empty glasses, but he lost count of how much he had drunk ten glasses ago. He was doing what he had told Beth not to do all those months ago; he was drinking to take away the pain, to try and fill the two gaps he now had in his heart; one from their lost baby, one from Beth. He felt like the holes were continuously growing, stretching outwards, and soon enough there would be nothing of him left but grief, they would take him over. As he thought about that, he realised that didn't sound so bad, at least he would be numb from the pain then. He downed the whiskey in front of him, and raised his hand, trying to signal the bartender. The woman walked down the bar, stopping in front of him.

"'Nother one." he slurred, dropping some money onto the counter.

"Sorry my love, I'm not going to serve you anymore." the woman said apologetically.

"Why? I'm paying you!" he muttered, his voice pitching up at the end.

"Working your way through a bottle of whiskey won't help will it?" the woman said kindly, and Max was reminded again of his own words to Beth.

"Fine, you're the ones losing out on money." Max got unsteadily to his feet, and stood still for a bit, waiting for the bar to stop spinning around him. He lurched towards the door of the bar, pulling it open and stumbling out. The cold air outside hit him like a slap; he recoiled from it, digging in his pockets for his keys. He finally found them and made his way to his car, opening the door and collapsing inside. As soon as the door was shut and the car locked from the inside, Max willed himself into a place where he didn't have to hurt anymore, where he could see Beth's smiling face right in front of him, waiting for him.

_It's the end  
End where I begin  
It's the end  
End where I begin_

_**Song- The Script: The End Where I Begin**_


	16. The End

**Here it is, the last chapter. I have loved writing this story, and I want to thank my reviewers for encouraging me. Hollie, Jo, Meg, Aileen, Krissie, Littlebit100 and Leafy08, this is for you.**

Ever since Beth had gone, when Max slept he dreamt of her: of her face as she died, of her laughing with Jess and Sally, of her squealing when he tickled her, of her saying his name as they made love, of her grief when their baby died. Max felt happiest, most content when he dreamt of her, somehow it made her seem alive again, as if she really had only gone on holiday. It was better when he was drunk, as hardly anything could wake him up, so he could dream of her beautiful face longer. He could conjure her perfectly in his dreams: her big blue eyes framed by the longest black lashes, her full smiling lips, her freckled nose, her beautiful dark hair which he loved to run his fingers through, her slender body, the list was endless. To him, dreaming was the only thing keeping him relatively sane. So when he collapsed in his car that night, as soon as his heavy eyes shut, Beth walked into his dream, like she did every time he slept. But this time was different somehow.

_And I'd give up forever to touch you,  
Cause I know that you feel me somehow.  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,  
And I don't want to go home right now._

"Sierra Oscar 134 to Sierra Oscar 1." Jess said into her radio, keeping one hand on the wheel of her patrol car.

"Go ahead PC Stone." Gina replied.

"I'm following Charlie Smith's car ma'am. It's a silver Mercedes with blacked out windows, registration Lima Papa 2 3, 8 Alpha Tango. We're going down St John's Road, over." Jess said, placing both hands on the wheel as Leon took a sharp right.

"Keep back PC Stone, back up will be there in a minute, over." Gina said, walking down to the canteen. "PC Roberts."

Both Sally and Nate looked up at the same time, "Ma'am?" Then they looked at each other and smiled.

"Which one did you mean?" Sally asked.

"Both of you actually. Jess needs back up, she's following Charlie Smith's car as we speak, she's on her own. I've told her to hang back, but you know what she's like. Last thing she said was they were on St John's road." Gina said, watching as Sally and Nate ran out the canteen and down to their car. "Sierra Oscar 1 to 134."

"Yes ma'am?" Jess answered.

"Sally and Nate are on their way, I'll be co-ordinating from here. I'll also send Sergeant Smith and Will ok? And I meant it when I said keep back, do you understand? Over." Gina said sternly.

Jess sighed, and then she spoke into her radio, "Understood. Over."

_And all I can taste is this moment,  
And all I can breathe is your life,  
And sooner or later it's over,  
I just don't want to miss you tonight._

_Max walked towards her, embracing her as usual. He caressed her face, then pulled him to her._

"_God I miss you so much." he murmured into her ear._

"_I know, I miss you too, more than you know." she replied, placing her hand on his heart, feeling the steady beating. _

_As usual she was dressed in strapless white dress which ended just below her knees. Her feet were bare, and her hair hung dark and wavy round her shoulders. She had a light tan, which made her seem all the more alive, all the more radiant. In this place that Max knew was paradise, the surroundings became what you made it. Sometimes it became their home, sometimes the station, but on this time it became a beach, with white sand, blue waves with foamy white heads, and palm trees providing shade. He took her slender hand in his, walking with her down the beach. He stopped under the shade of a palm tree, kissing her hand, her ring glinting in the sun._

"_Why did you have to leave me?" he asked, as he usually did, losing himself in those blue eyes of hers._

_She laughed, music to his ears, "Why do you always ask me? The answer is always the same. You never listen do you" she said, teasing him, but she looked up at him, her expression becoming serious, "I couldn't let Sally die, nor her baby. I had to protect her. They didn't want her, they wanted me, and they got me. But look, I'm still here aren't I, and I'll always be in here." she said, placing her hand over his heart._

"_Why can't I join you?" he asked, begging almost._

"_Max Carter, don't let me hear you say that again! You need to live your life! You still have so much ahead of you, don't throw it all away just for me." she chastised._

"_You are my life!" he retorted, sinking onto the warm sand._

"_I was your life." she said gently. "I've got someone I want you to meet. Wait here." she walked across the sand, disappearing around some rocks. Max turned his gaze to the rolling waves, wishing that he wouldn't wake up, wishing he could stay here with her forever, however long that is. "MAX!"_

_Max turned his head to see her returning, but this time she was carrying something in her arms. His brow furrowed in confusion as she sat next to him. She smiled at him, handing him what she had been carrying. He looked down, and was shocked to see a face looking back at him._

"_Who is this?" he asked, although he already had a feeling he knew._

"_This, Max Carter, is our son." she said, beaming at him. He had never had this happen in his dream before. He gazed down at the tiny baby in his arms. He was so beautiful, with Beth's crisp blue eyes, and his thick brown hair._

"_A son? We have a boy?" he asked in awe, not taking his eyes of the baby._

_She nodded, "I named him I hope you don't mind." she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder and gazing at their son._

_Max wrenched his eyes away from the baby, smiling up at her, "What did you call him?"_

"_Alfie Maxwell Carter." she replied with a smile._

_Max looked back down at the baby, "Alfie Maxwell Carter, I'm your daddy!" he cooed at the baby._

"_Aw look at him. He knows who you are already." she said, her heart melting at the sight of him and their son, just staring at each other._

"_He is amazing, so beautiful! He looks like you, maybe that's a good thing!" Max said with a laugh._

"_But he reminds me of you." she said softly, kissing Max on the lips. "I need to talk to you."_

"_Oh?" he asked, his eyes still on Alfie._

"_You need to stop this." she said._

"_Stop what?" he asked, looking at her confused._

"_Drinking among other things. It doesn't help, you should know that, in fact that's what you told me, remember? You need to stop self destructing, get back into working. I know you want to find Charlie and the other two, but they will kill you. As much as I love you and want to be with you, I don't want you ending up here with me because of them. I will wait an eternity for you, I promise, only if you stop self destructing. Let people help you. Everyone is so worried about you, but you won't let anyone in. You're becoming ill, and frankly, I don't fancy you anymore with all this stubble! It needs to stop now. Me and Alfie are safe now, no-one will touch us again." she said, looking into his eyes, eyes that she could see long after she shut her eyes for the final time. She gently took Alfie from Max's arms, and stood up. Max stood up too, his hands on her waist._

"_Don't leave me, not again. This is the only thing I look forward to now, this is what I live for!" Max said adamantly._

"_That's the whole point." she stroked his face, and he rested his cheek in her hand, "It's not a life if you live for your dreams. And that is all this is Max, a dream. Yes I'm in your dreams, but that's because I'm cool." she said with a laugh._

"_You are very cool." Max agreed with a laugh, "But even if I do live, like you want me too, you'll still be here in my dreams won't you?"_

_She smiled, nodding, "I'll be here for as long as you need me; we'll both be here." She turned Alfie around so he was facing his father, and he pulled her close, their baby nestled in between them._

"_I'll need you forever." he whispered into her ear._

_And I don't want the world to see me,  
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am._

"Sierra Oscar 134 to Sierra Oscar 55" Jess said into her radio.

"Go ahead Jess." Smithy said into his radio.

"They're headed towards an industrial estate, there's no escape out of here, we've got them, over." she said happily.

"Brilliant, we're right behind you. Do not approach them though! Over." Smithy warned.

"Yes sarge. Over." Jess said, placing both hands back on the wheel. She was tailing the Mercedes so close that the slightest braking on Leon's part would have her patrol car smashing into their car. It was strange, Leon hadn't used his brakes once during the hour long chase, not even when they were going round tight corners. Jess slowed down slightly as another corner came up ahead. They were heading towards a warehouse which held petrol tankers in, ready to be taken to petrol stations. They would have to stop here, it was a dead end. Jess followed them right to the end, but they still didn't slow down.

"Leon, slow down, we're gonna crash!" Michael yelled from the front passenger seat.

Leon pumped his foot down on the brakes; nothing happened, "Shit! Get out, the brakes have been cut!"

"You what?" Charlie shouted from the back.

"Get out!" Leon repeated, trying to open his door. But it was too late. The car smashed through the fence into the yard in front of the warehouse. They were fast approaching the metal wall which made up the east side of the warehouse. The car crashed through that as well, heading quickly towards a row of petrol tankers. The car rammed into one, wedging itself underneath it. The impact caused the engine of the car to catch alight, and in a ground shaking explosion, the tankers exploded around the car. The whole warehouse went up in flames, explosions still going on, blowing bits out of the warehouse, causing pieces of metal to fly in all directions. The three men's screams only lasted a few seconds before they were abruptly cut off.

_And you cant fight the tears that ain't coming,  
Or the moment of the truth in your lies.  
When everything feels like the movies,  
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive._

"Oh my god." Jess said, staring in horror at the warehouse. She had braked just in time. "All units stay back from the warehouse at the edge of the Tanmere Industrial Estate. A massive explosion has taken place, there are pieces of metal flying everywhere, the fire is huge. I repeat, stay back!" Jess climbed out of the car, immediately feeling the heat from the inferno. She heard screams, but then they stopped, and Jess knew they were dead. "This is a call for the fire service. Massive explosion taken place at the Tanmere Industrial Estate in the warehouse which holds the petrol tankers. The tankers have exploded, the warehouse is collapsing. The whole thing is alight. This is urgent, over." Someone confirmed Jess' call, and she just stood and watched the warehouse burn. Another explosion took place near the side of the warehouse Jess was facing, and a massive piece of lit wood came flying towards her. She ran towards her patrol car, but the wood landed right on the bonnet of her car.

"Sierra Oscar 55 to 134?" Smithy said into his radio. They had been held up in early morning traffic, they were about ten minutes away from the Estate. Sally and Nate were slightly ahead, but they were stuck in the same traffic.

Jess raised her hand to her radio, about to answer when her car exploded. She dived onto the floor, covering her head. She could feel the rush of heat as the car burned near to her, and it was suddenly hard to breathe. She pulled herself up, coughing as the smoke filled her lungs. She stumbled to the road, feeling as if she had cotton wool in her ears. "Sarge, my patrol car has just exploded; a piece of alight wood landed on it. I can't hear you, so don't bother saying anything back." she said, coughing.

A few minutes later sirens announced the arrival of Sally, Nate, Smithy and Will.

"Sally, find out where those fire engines are. Nate call an ambulance." Smithy yelled at them. "Will, go get the water from the car." Will ran to the car as Smithy ran to where Jess was standing, leaning against a post. Her face was blackened, but she seemed ok. "You alright?" he asked, taking her to the car. She coughed a few times, and nodded.

"Yes sarge, I'm fine. My car isn't though." she said, turning towards the smaller fire in front of the warehouse.

"Don't worry about that, as long as you're ok. And our suspects?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Jess shook her head, "They didn't even attempt to stop. They went straight through the fence, then through the wall. It took a few seconds for the place to go up. I got out of my car, seeing if there was anything we could have done, but then the whole thing went up. I moved back, but I could hear them screaming, and then it stopped. There is no way they would have survived that."

"Jess, drink this." Will said, appearing by Jess' side with a bottle of water. Jess glugged it down, trying to soothe her itching throat.

"Thanks Will. Sarge, you better call into the Inspector what's happened. I'll ring Max, let him know." Jess said sadly, moving as three fire engines hurtled round the corner and stopped behind Jess' car.

_And I don't want the world to see me,  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am._

_Max lay on the sand, and she was laying with her head on his chest, the baby in between them on the sand. "You should go now." she said gently._

"_Why?" he asked her, raising his head to look at her. She twisted round so she could see him._

"_Because your phone is ringing and in a minute you'll wake up anyway. So this way we get the chance to say goodbye." she said with a smile._

_Even as she said it Max could feel himself being pulled back to reality, "I don't want to leave yet."_

_She wiped at his face, catching the tears before they could fall, "I know, and we don't want you to leave. But let's not waste this time. Come here you." She sat up, and sat down on his lap. She took his face in both her hands softly, and bent her face forwards. Her lips met his, and they kissed passionately, all their sadness at having to say goodbye poured into that kiss. After they broke apart, she lifted Alfie up, and Max took the baby in his arms, kissing him on the forehead._

"_I love you so much Beth Green. And as for you, little Alfie Carter, look after mummy for me." Max said quietly._

"_We'll see you next time you shut your eyes. But remember what I told you Max; live your life. We love you." Beth brushed her lips against his, before standing up, Alfie nestled in her arms. She blew him a kiss as she walked down the beach and out of sight. Max sat there a few seconds more, waiting for the ringing of his phone to pull him to reality._

_And I don't want the world to see me,  
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am._

Dawn was breaking outside the windows of his car, and as Max stretched as much as was possible in the confined space, he pulled his phone out. He wiped the tear off his face, and looked at the caller ID. It was Jess.

"Hello?" he said groggily.

"Max? It's Jess Stone. I have some news for you." she said, her voice coming out all scratchy.

"Go on..." he said, leaning back in the seat, grateful that his head had stopped spinning.

"Charlie, Leon and Michael are dead. I was chasing them, and we ended up on the Tanmere Industrial Estate. The car crashed into a warehouse filled with petrol tankers. The car caught light, and the whole warehouse exploded. They're dead Max." Jess said quietly.

"Dead?" Max repeated, not letting himself believe it.

"Yes, dead. There is no way they would have survived that. CSE are getting in there now that the fire is out, but their guess is that the brakes to the car were cut. This is manslaughter Max." Jess said.

"You don't think it was me do you?" Max said, accusation in his voice.

"No, no, of course not! I'm just telling you what I know. You don't have to hunt for them anymore, they're gone." Jess replied.

"Gone." Max said dully. He shut his eyes, bringing back the images of his dream, of Beth, of Alfie. He smiled, a feeling of true happiness radiating through him. He would see them every time he shut his eyes, they weren't so far away after all.

_And I don't want the world to see me,  
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am.  
I just want you to know who I am.  
I just want you to know who I am.  
I just want you to know who I am._

_**Song- Goo Goo Dolls: Iris**_

**It's the end, and I really hope you've enjoyed it reading it as much as I have writing it.**


End file.
